Head Height and Proximity.The correct facial height and proximity de-
pends on the number of people in the group and how large of an area you
want to use for a background.
When posing a couple or small group, if I decide to compose the portrait
closer up (showing from the waist up for each member of the group), I po-
sition the eyes of one person at about the mouth level of the next person as
I am building the composition. With larger groups, it is often impossible to
put each face at a different level. Instead, you will simply create some basic
posing structures (lines, pyramids, etc.) with some modifications and varia-
tions here and there to add some style.
In a typical portrait of a couple or group, the subjects are touching—usu-
ally with their bodies overlapping a bit. If, however, a family group wants to
show their home, horses, cars, tractor, or the ocean in the background, you
may need to have several feet between each family member to create an ef-
fective composition. Whether the individuals are closely packed or spread out,
however, the key is that they should all be approximately the same distance
from each other. If one person is visually farther from the group than the
others, it will look like he doesn’t belong.
Depth of Field and Sharpness.
When working with small groups, I typically work with the lens stopped down
to increase the depth of focus I have to work with.
Another difference between single subjects and groups is the resolution at
which they must be photographed to achieve the same perceived clarity.
Working with a single subject, you can create a beautiful final image using an
104 JEFF SMITH’S POSING TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATION PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Getting at least one member of the family
down to ground level helps make the image
look more relaxed.