Quiteoftenthemostdifficultaspectofalarger groupis
morelogistical,thechallengebeingtofindenoughspaceto
accommodateit.Onlocationand in thestudioyou may
find it harder to manage larger groups in theway you
wouldnormallyshoot.Theuseofasetofstepladdersmay
enable a higher vantage point from which to take the
image, allowing morepeople to be included within the
scene.
Throughouttheprocess,youneedtoremaininfullcontrol,
and as always with portraits the key to this is calm
communication. If the clients do not know who is in
commandoriftheyarenotgivenclearinstructionsasto
whatisexpectedofthematalltimes,theshootcanquite
easilydescendintochaos. Workingquickly, keepingthe
clientsengagedwith eyecontactandconstantinstruction
should alleviate the risk of this happening.
Thephotographermustalsoensurethateverybodyisclear
andinviewforthecamera.Onewaytoensurethishappens
istotelleverybodythatiftheycannotseethecamera,it
cannot see them. However, the photographer should be
acutelyaware ofeverybody in thegroup; maintaining a
rapportwiththegroupasawholewillbethequickestand
mostdirectwaytoobtainalertnaturalexpressionsfroma
group this size.
Ifthe largegroup hasbeenassembled fora birthday or
celebration, the main subjects for whom the portrait is
beingtakenshouldbeplacedinaprominentpositioninthe
grouping;thiswillgenerallybeinthecentreoftheimage.
Tryavarietyofposes–somewheretheclientsarefacing
thecameraandperhapssomewherethefocusofthegroup
isonthepersonorpersonswhoarethecentreofattention;