Lgm Loc: Tennessee

Since I am the only parent who brings a camera, I've been asked to take a group photo of my son's soccer team. There are 12 boys on the team. I will take the photo outside around 4:30 in the afternoon. I have zero experience with group photos.

I'm not sure which lens to use. Where should the sun be? Should I use flash? The boys are squirmy. I want them to be in focus and there movements not to be blurred.

Feel free to post your photos along with tips and suggestions. Thanks

equipment.....Cannon Rebel 300D.....Macro 100mm, 2.8 lens, no zoom......10-22mm, 3.5-4.5, with zoom.......18-55mm, 3.5-5.6, with zoom.

ebaribeault Loc: Baltimore

You should be able to get the group photo with the 18-55. Be sure to position the group to avoid eye squinting. I also would take photos with both flash and without

dasloaf

Indoors, outdoors, uniform or after game. Make sure you take a formal pic with everyone standing straight and a goofball pic. Also tell the Coaches no hands in the pockets!

Dheaton Loc: Boulder, Utah

Normally when I shoot a group like this I have the sun at their backs and use strobes or flash to fill in the faces. If you are new to this then you may not have those. Do not use the popup flash on your camera. It is not strong enough to work with a group. If you do not have the flashes then look for some open shade and get to the edge of the shade and pose them there. That way your exposures will look nice on the team and also on the background. Try to use a longer lens if you can to throw the background out of focus. You will need to use at least F8 so you can get them all sharp in focus. Don't have too many levels in the image or you will need even greater depth of field.

Lgm Loc: Tennessee

Yes, I'll do that. I will get there early to adjust my camera according to the weather.

Lgm Loc: Tennessee

I personally perfer the goof off photos but I'll take a more serious one too. Thanks for the examples. I'm sure the coach will try to stick his hands in his pockets. HaHa

Lgm Loc: Tennessee

Ok, I wasn't sure if a popup flash would work for an entire group. I do not have strobes but I do have the 270 EX II Speedlight. Would that be of any use in a group photo? I also have a 70-300mm 4-5.6 zoom. Do you think this lens would be better than any of the others listed above?

tramsey Loc: Texas

I have two group pictures ahead of you. I saw a tip, after I had taken my two pictures, that I really could've used. That is to have everyone's eyes open, you tell them to close them and on the count of three to open them and take the picture. WAALA, see all the eyes!

gdwsr Loc: Northern California

What post pressing are you planning on doing?

If you have PS or Elements you might consider the options that Photomerge@Groups gives you and shoot multiples of the same "pose".

TTKBJR Loc: Kansas

I agree do not use your camera flash for fill light it will not be strong enough. I would head for a shady spot unless its overcast then you can use a goal as a background. Definitely not facing the sun of course as they will all be squinting. If you don't have shade or overcast day, then you can try at an angle to the sun, but see how the shadows look before you take the shot. It might be too harsh just depends on the day really.
I probably would go with the 18-55mm lens. From what I have read on group shots, you will need a f stop of 8 or more. Some photographers say it depends on the size of your group determines the correct f Stop to make sure everyone is in focus. Also focus on the front row or about a 1/3 of the way in. I have copied a link that is great with depth of field and where the focus will be depending on your lens and camera. Great reference to use. http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

Take several test shots to see what your shot looks like then Take a series of shots as someone is always closing their eyes or looking away.
This groups shot was done in the morning so I didn't have the sun to worry about in this one.

1/160 at f8.0 37mm - lens 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS

mwh2385 Loc: Fairfield Glade, Tennessee

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but use a tripod and an additional flash. That will help with focus. Make sure your of focus is sharp enough to cover all the ranks of kids you are photographing.

Good Luck! and Have fun!

Mike H.

AlanK Loc: No. Califorina

With the equipment you have you will have to get creative. The 270 EX II is a "strobe", just a different name for a Speed-light ;~). I checked a review of the flash at this site; http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-270EX-Speedlite-Flash-Review.aspx.

I don't want to overwhelm you but the one thing that will help is using a higher ISO, but without causing NOISE in shadows. This will allow your not-so-powerful 270 to light at an ƒ8 or better ƒ11, make sure you preview coverage on your camera! I'd use a lightmeter and measure left, right and middle coverage.

I used to be the only sports photogo in our little town in 1975 - 1980 and I must say the tip about having the kids close their eyes, tip their heads down/relax your (their) faces, YOU count to 3 out LOAD and then say UP & OPEN. Shoot immediately and most if not all eyes will be open.

FYI, from my experience I'd rather limit the front row of "short" kids to 1 or 2 more than half, the others, taller, in the back row, looking through the gaps between the front row and coaches on both sides. This kind of setup will produce a better 8x10 with the kids big enough to see their faces. A wide shot that is short from top to bottom is harder to frame or mount and the kids will look real small. I stack them 2, 3 even 4 rows high, use ƒ11, selective focus to 1/3 back from front row, stagger the kids and you're good to go ;~).

My wife would help me shoot the Youth Soccer teams, 500 kids in one longish day. If the parents are around talk loud enough that they can hear what your saying to the kids, especially in the group shot! We'd always have one or more squirrels in the group and I would say to the entire team (and coaches & parents) that if someone goofed off and "ruined" the picture I could track that kid/family down and they would have to pay for ALL the team pictures. They ruined the pic for everyone and I also had to provide plaques to team sponsor's and they didn't like seeing that crap either.

Sorry, no samples, after fighting to control Little League parents and kids (impossible!), they'd always yell at my wife for being too strict, I got a job teaching and gave up the photogo business.

As far a lens to use? I always used a "normal, 50mm" lens on both my group camera and the individual camera. Call me nuts but I'd always shoot the group with my Hasselbald (for the very best quality shot) and a Nikon for the single shots, and this was in the film days LOL. With practice, and the tips about posing above, I'd be confident that I got the group shot on the first try (rarely a do-over), and with practice I could catch the kids blinking on the single shot, and shoot those again.

Best of luck, if you like the experience you might turn it into a money maker for you? You'd have to charge of course. In my community there was enough support to pay for a small package for the kids that couldn't afford them.

A day of shooting 500 soccer kids would NET me between $2,500 to over $3,000, not bad for an afternoon lol.

Good luck, Alan

hj Loc: Florida

Pray for a bright overcast day. Direct sun is a killer. If not overcast try for all shade as has been mentioned... not some in the sun and some in the shade.. that's a given. Avoid distracting backdrops if you can. I could not as you see in one of my pics below. These were shot aperture priority f5.6, ISO 100, focal length around 33mm, so your 18-55 lens will work fine. You will have to get loud and demanding with them as they are having fun. Insist they look at the camera, not at on-lookers. Every pose, I take a dozen or so pics because there will always be one looking away, blinking etc. AND, I agree with others, the team loves the goofy shots.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

hj,
That's a nice team picture!!!
If a bench is not available, the front row could kneel on one knee.
Pat

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Try not to shoot in the sun. Find a shady spot and use fill flash. Overcast day is ideal.