romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

Several critical things I didn't see mentioned are: either turn focus on Manual or on SPOT, then place the SPOT on a face in a middle row, with the lens stop at f8 or f11 to insure DOF. Keep you shutter speed at 1/250
or 1/500 if there are children, changing the ISO to get the proper exposure. Be sure your White Balance is set for the type of illumination present. To be really safe I'd shoot in RAW, so I could correct any of these
settings in Post Production. If you are hand holding the camera while on a ladder do turn vibration reduction ON, if Tripod mounted(sturdy) turn it off. Make sure your camera battery is freshly charged, have a spare, and
a spare memory card too. It would be nice to have a back up camera too- just in case something goes wrong.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

In closing the group for a shot with a normal lens, take a hint from the layout of the 50 stars on the US flag. Use a high ladder, a balcony or a pole and tethered shot for a better perspective.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

If it's an outside group portrait, a rented self powered cherry picker bucket makes a nice shooting platform. I've shot from them, mainly for video, several times. You can get higher than ladders, which can be good.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

If they are too cheap to hire a Pro Photographer they won't rent a lift!

Photocraig

If you are using supplemental lighting, and even if not, place the darker skinned people in the strongest light. It is counter to the idea of taking a dark object and lowering the exposure to compensate for the meter trying to make everything 18% gray. But a metered scene of a large group will tend to render the darkest skinned people as nearly solid black/brown. When I've done such groups. albeit smaller, I made sure the darker complected people were closest to my Front fill flash. And if they're on one side, preferably, I boosted that side's flash by 1 stop or 1 1/2 stops. Try out a small group test in the same ambient that your large group will be. And chimp like mad. The folks with dark skin know the problem because they've got group photos with some very dark faces wearing their clothes--repeatedly. They'll really appreciate the consideration. And the small group shots will be for them only.

The front fill flash is used because you want the people facing the shade so you don't get them all squinting. The burst shots may cause flash recycle problems so I'd suggest manually and verbally say "We're taking three shots in sequence, and count 'em out when the Flash available lights come on. I used 2 GN 180+ manually adjustable flashes. In my case a Canon 540 in manual and a Vivitar 285.

Remember that depth of field will be an issue. Your wide angle lenses do well here but remember to use a higher f-stop like at least 5.6 to f8. Another reason for the flash.

As for timing, avoid direct sun overhead and "hot spots" of direct sun in the background. That's why the wide front steps work if they're facing away from the sun. Try to time the shot for when the folks are docile--not wanting to be somewhere else and before the adult beverages cause issues like droopy eyes, silly expressions or open rebellion if you wait too long.

Good luck, people really DO appreciate having these photos, especially in later years.

C

dickwilber Loc: Indiana (currently)

Having done hundreds of school and team group shots, I can tell you that 50 people is a LARGE group. That they are talking about shooting from a church roof tells me its not the usual group shot, and you won't have as much flexibility as you might like. If it's a flat church roof, it is usually simply a matter of scrambling up the interior access ladder. (Some of those trap doors can be a little confining coming through with your camera dangling from your neck. Have whoever does the maintenance bring your tripod!) A sloped roof isn't a reasonable request. If your doing a shot from a roof the distances involved will dictate your lens!

Doing a more standard ground level shot, you would prefer the group be on risers or low stairs AND the photographer on a ladder with the camera at least at same elevation as highest row. (If you attempt to shoot everyone at the same level, you can't see those in back. Keeping those in front down low and elevating those towards the back, and elevating the camera really helps.)

Again if a tall enough STURDY tripod is available it will be of great help - once your photo is composed and focused, you can look over the top of the camera and see what it sees, real time. (Extremely important shooting students.) With your "crop" camera you want a normal or longer lens (35 mm - 50 mm); wider lenses accentuate the distance back to the farthest rows, making their faces tiny in comparison. (A slightly longer lens would be good, but you might need a megaphone!)

10:00 AM is getting into the brightest part of the day. Shooting in bright sunshine makes a photographers life tough. Open shade is so much better. It is better to have the sun behind your subjects than behind you where everyone will be squinting. Your ladder can help so you're not shooting up into the sun!

Setting up this large a group can be an interesting problem. The rows should be staggered so the faces in the rear rows each has an open space between the faces in front. As you set up the rows, you want more people in each row going from front to back - one more in each row (if they divide up that way; i.e., 11-12-13-14, or 8-9-10-11-12, but they never do).

Go get 'em, Tiger!

faygo Loc: Tucson, AZ

Thanks for the help. I will be able to check the site out this weekend. And will get and give some suggestions from the coordinator.

faygo Loc: Tucson, AZ

Thanks everyone. With all of the advice I got i am sure my photos will be just right.

lngroller

No shoot whole group in one shot from the middle. By stringing them each row is the same distance on the ends as it is in the middle. Easiest way to show this; if you are sitting at your desk in the middle how far from the middle of the desk are you? Now, how far from the left and right edges are you? Lining up a large group straight across has the same effect you need HUGE dog to cover front to back left to right your back corners could be 30-40' further then the center of the group from your camera

faygo Loc: Tucson, AZ

This is true, I hope I will be able to move (by foot) and take multiple shots from left to right and then splice them together in PS.

dickwilber Loc: Indiana (currently)

Wow! That sure sounds like the hard way to me!

faygo Loc: Tucson, AZ

How would you do it? By panning the camera on the tripod?

dickwilber Loc: Indiana (currently)

If I was doing a panorama, or rent one of the specialty cameras for that purpose. But when you started this thread I didn't think you were looking to do a panorama! I've done many large groups, only one as a panorama!

faygo Loc: Tucson, AZ

Panorama is an option.

lngroller

don't move the camera! if you do, pan, do not move left-right, you will change the perspective and you will not be able to stitch them effectively. there is no need to move. string them like I mentioned earlier and shoot from the center of the group using whatever distance/lens you need to fill whatever perspective they need for print (if they want prints) remember if they want 8x10 you need to leave a fair amount of space left and right to crop it