length? In a portrait of a single person you can easily go from a head-and-
shoulders to a full-length image without changing the pose; you just change
the focal length of the lens. This isn’t usually possible with larger numbers of
people, so you’ll need to have your goal in mind before you start arranging
the group.
Choose a Basic Structure.I see many group photos that look more like
a mob of people waiting for tickets to go on sale than a close, loving family.
To combat this, you need to start with some kind of structure while build-
ing your compositions for groups. You can then modify the structure once the
basic composition has been achieved. This is much better than having no
composition at all.
A basic pyramid composition, with the tallest person in the center and the
heads gently sloping down to either side, is a simple starting place for groups.
To modify that basic structure and achieve a more interesting look, break the
straight line of the downward angles by posing some of the heads below or
above the distinct downward lines of the pyramid. This gives the composition
the basic pyramid structure without the “old school” look.
If I am going for structure with a linear composition, I actually like using
diagonal compositions more than pyramids. In these compositions, the heads
The pyramid form is a simple way of arrang-
ing a small group in a classic portrait.Before planning the poses forthe group, you need to decide howthe portrait will be composed