lens for extremely large group photo
Jul 15, 2013 19:59:23 #
I was asked if I could take a family reunion group photo, between 900-1500 people in the picture. I have a canon 7d, what type of lens would you use for something like this.
Jul 15, 2013 20:03:48 #
dasloaf wrote:
I was asked if I could take a family reunion group photo, between 900-1500 people in the picture. I have a canon 7d, what type of lens would you use for something like this.
You didn't say how much room you have to work with or where...inside, outside? How big a print is expected?
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I wouldn't use anything less than my 36 mp D800.
Jul 15, 2013 20:16:26 #
dasloaf wrote:
I was asked if I could take a family reunion group photo, between 900-1500 people in the picture. I have a canon 7d, what type of lens would you use for something like this.
D, lens: wide, maybe a 10mm. Depends on how far away they are. The 7d crop, will work against you.
A bigger question will be: will you have to light them? Most school gyms barely hold that many people. You will have to put them on steps or stand on a 16 foot ladder. Bet one will have their eyes closed! SS
Jul 15, 2013 20:17:05 #
This does seem to a situation where a crop sensor will definitely show its shortcomings. Resolution will be a BIG consideration if you expect to ID a large number of the subjects from the image.
Jul 15, 2013 20:41:38 #
I remember have a photo taken of my class when we went to Washington, D.C. The camera was one of those that rotated and started taking the photo on the left and finished on the right. One of the kids ran behind the camera after his photo was taken on the left and got into it again on the right.
Jul 15, 2013 22:07:14 #
Let me get this straight.....you were ASKED (nicely I presume) and you said YES????? Do you have a Masters Degree in cat herding? You need a small army just to arrange the group and I hope you are in a stadium or on a hillside. Otherwise, how are you going to get enough vertical separation to accommodate the 30 or more rows of people? For my 2 cents, the lens is the least of your concerns.
Jul 15, 2013 22:46:33 #
unclebe1 wrote:
Let me get this straight.....you were ASKED (nicely I presume) and you said YES????? Do you have a Masters Degree in cat herding? You need a small army just to arrange the group and I hope you are in a stadium or on a hillside. Otherwise, how are you going to get enough vertical separation to accommodate the 30 or more rows of people? For my 2 cents, the lens is the least of your concerns.
Hopfully, it'll be taken in a stadium!!
Jul 15, 2013 22:52:42 #
Jul 15, 2013 23:08:50 #
dasloaf wrote:
I was asked if I could take a family reunion group photo, between 900-1500 people in the picture. I have a canon 7d, what type of lens would you use for something like this.
I'm not recommending this, but I took a pano (three landscape frames) of two soccer teams including 3 refs lined up in the middle of the field end-to-end, then stitched them together in post. I was surprised at how well the stitching software worked. Not one player was bury or missing any limbs. I wrote it off as getting lucky. :-)
Jul 16, 2013 05:25:05 #
Jul 16, 2013 06:03:09 #
dasloaf wrote:
I was asked if I could take a family reunion group photo, between 900-1500 people in the picture. I have a canon 7d, what type of lens would you use for something like this.
Be very much aware of distortion with wide angle lenses. What is the camera equipment available to you? Forget about megapixels, that won't come into it. Do your own evaluation of what is available to you and your own skill. Any modern lens used at its best settings is good for a yard wide print so if you cannot produce a RAZOR SHARP image with what you have, forget about worrying about the resolution of your sensor or getting a very expensive lens. This is the type of photograph which would cause the most expert photographer to do a great deal of planning and setting up. Just be aware that by asking this type of question you are probably not in that category and that the choice of lens is really the simplest of the problems that you are going to have to resolve if you want to produce something truly memorable rather than just a (very, very big) family snapshot. Come back with more info on your stuff and the venue, lighting etcetera. Cheers and good luck with the shoot, Rob.
Jul 16, 2013 08:31:15 #
Jul 16, 2013 10:28:26 #
I think you need a large format camera for that many people, 4x5 or larger. Might require hiring it done.
Jul 16, 2013 12:09:53 #
SharpShooter wrote:
D, lens: wide, maybe a 10mm. Depends on how far away they are. The 7d crop, will work against you.
A bigger question will be: will you have to light them? Most school gyms barely hold that many people. You will have to put them on steps or stand on a 16 foot ladder. Bet one will have their eyes closed! SS
A bigger question will be: will you have to light them? Most school gyms barely hold that many people. You will have to put them on steps or stand on a 16 foot ladder. Bet one will have their eyes closed! SS
I've been to events where a fire truck ladders or man lifts were used to get the photographer well above the subjects.
I like the idea of the panoramic. Shoot in Portrait and stitch them together.
Jul 16, 2013 12:23:57 #
That type of photo is a tall order for a photographer with only a Canon 7D. I would suggest talking to pro that specializes in this type of photo. I'm sure he, or she would use a large format camera, with a wide angle lens. If you want to try, you should looking into renting the largest format camera you can get, and the proper lens. You can get some good ideas by calling a lens rental company and get their take on what you will need. Lighting such a large group, and keeping their attention during the shoot will be a problem. following the shoot you will have to produce a very large image, so that everyone will be able to identify each other in the shot. Maybe you could find a way to break up the group in smaller numbers. If it were me in your shoes, I would contract the large group shot to a pro if the family wants a quality outcome.
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