are arranged so that they create a line that slopes across
the frame. This is very effective in small groups like
sisters, brothers, or small families.
Ground the Pose.I like to see groups with at least
some of the members on or near the ground. This
softens the look of a more traditional portrait and
doesn’t give the stuffy and stiff look of everyone standing in a basic pyramid.
Even when the clothing and setting are more elegant, I generally don’t like
to see everyone standing in order of height or on stairs. I want to break up
the straight line with people in seated poses to lower their heads.
My favorite way to arrange a group is to start out on the ground and build
the composition up person by person. This gives me the creative freedom to
pose each person effectively as an individual, but also to come up with inter-
esting compositions that don’t follow the pyramid lines.
GROUP PORTRAITS 103LEFT—In this pose, there is a slight diagonal created by the natu-
ral heights of the subjects.ABOVE—Here is a more interesting vari-
ation. Mom and Dad are in the center, flanked by their sons. From
left to right, the pose has three faces in a downward-sloping di-
agonal line. The last face, however, is brought back up almost to
the level of the face on the far left. This creates a mirrored effect
that is very engaging.