I have to take a family group shot on the weekend - an elderly mum and her 5 adult sons. Was hoping to make it a bit more interesting than the usual posed family photo. Any ideas on positioning etc would be gratefully accepted.
I saw a lovely family photo taken by a professional photographer, with the whole family in jeans and white shirts sitting on an old wooden fence. It might be difficult to colour-coordinate all the family, but I do like a more relaxed shot, rather than the traditional family standing together.
I'll be watching here for some more ideas from the 365ers!
I'm just smiling thinking of hoisting Tim's mum, 84, up onto a wooden fence :-) but I do like your idea. No way will I be able to co ordinate the 5 boys - 3 of them flying interstate and no doubt packing the bare essentials. The informal shot really appeals Britt - so if I can't do the wooden fence - what else do you think?
A nice uncluttered background is something I always like in a group shot. That way you can be both formal and informal if you so wish, with nothing to detract from the people.
@noo@mdavey thanks Girls - uncluttered would be wonderful Noo - I'll put the thinking cap on. Bit restricted to location on that day, but she has a lovely sitting room and a pretty garden. Melissa, just googled it and there's heaps of tips - thanks. Found this site interesting. http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-take-great-group-photos
Taking from a different direction, rather than straight on, can work really well .. @47th year posted this as her Mother's Day picture - and I think it's great!
Recently my MIL wanted pictures of all her grandkids but I hate the usual lines of kids and all the kids get sick of it as well so we tried out a kid pile instead
@sarahhorsfall hey that's really effective - thanks for sharing that. It could work well. @naturalp oh cool - a clump of kids! Very cute. don't think I can do a pile of grown ups, one of whom is 84, but I do like this idea very much for Christmas. Thank you @mdavey thanks merl will check it out
@positronicmommy good idea - the mum loves her garden. she could be overseeing the boys "working" in it @coolgirlsar ha ha - very true. That would be quite funny
I watched a documentary about 10 of the wives of the original Apollo astronauts. At the end they got together for a group photo and I thought it was really neat how the photographer arranged them. Staggered, posing in different ways. Of course, yours would not be as many people, but it might work. Here is the article from NY Times with the photo. http://tv.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/arts/television/24apollo.html
I love @janmaki answer! slightly biased though as this is what we did for my mum's 60th a couple of years ago. We had a group shot of all us kids done in the 70's (great clothes!), lined up, in chronological order, bad hair and all. So we replicated this shot, now as adults, clothes not as groovy, but the hair was much better!. Both were framed together. I love it!
@notliz oh that would be a wonderful photo. couldn't replicate the clothing as it is too short notice for them all now, but replicating the photo sounds like fun. @bruni true - they live near a beautiful park. thanks for the suggestion.
@murnane One thing I do is get them in the regular ol' boring position, snap one just to snap and say you did it, then have everyone wrap their arms around each other lean in close and "Squeeze"! I don't have any handy to post, but it causes laugher and relaxes the group a little. I usually zoom in a little closer so it's mostly faces. Good luck! Cannot wait to see what you end up with! :)
i don't have an example, but i like the photographer standin high on a ladder, and having the group looking all upward at the camera....it could look kinda 'corporate trying to not be corporate', but i think you could tweak it and have it look cool as a family shot....?....maybe
Sitting on stairs always gets a good affect as you can sort the height order well, you could have her at the front in a nicer chair and the 'boys' on the stairs behind?
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I'll be watching here for some more ideas from the 365ers!
@mdavey thanks merl will check it out
I would love to see some different ideas for groups - off to check out those links
@coolgirlsar ha ha - very true. That would be quite funny
@bruni true - they live near a beautiful park. thanks for the suggestion.
That's a very cool portrait - works really well!
With a better flash throw (it drops off towards the back because the ceiling has rafters I didn't think to account for)
The arrangement was pleasing, though getting people to just do that - tricky unless they're all drunk and way too excited to look at the camera...