Timarron Loc: Southwest

A few other thoughts.

Don't hesitate to order them around to get good composition. Tall kids in back! Tuck your shirt in! Put your hat on.... straight!

Be aware of background. Don't have a fencepost coming out of the top of a kids head. Use a "triangle" arrangement, where the kids in front row are not directly under the chin of the kid in back row. If you drew a line from nose of kid in back row to kid in front row and back to next kid in back row, you would get a triangle.

I took this photo last weekend of a women's member-guest golf tournament. I got up on the second story and took it looking down. You might be able to get some similar from some bleachers. I regret not following my own advice and asking a pair to come down front right to balance it out a little better.

Good luck, have fun with it and don't stress!

hj Loc: Florida

Timarron.... I guess everyone has their own opinion, but seems to me your placement caused a wider group and even with pockets of empty space. This made you further from the group allowing for less facial recognition.

Timarron Loc: Southwest

First... a note to LGM. I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but wanted to respond to hj, and there may be value for you in what we are discussing.

hj.... good observation about the wide group shot and facial recognition issue. In this case, the players wanted to make sure the shot included their "themed" outfits, thus I had to get back a little further than usual. However, I enlarged one copy to 13 x 19 inches, which did allow for facial recognition. Below is a segment of the photo, which clearly shows the faces. You just have to make the print big enough! So, the dilemma is... do you want to see the full uniforms.... or be able to clearly see everybody's face? What to do.....what to do......

Lgm Loc: Tennessee

Hey Everyone, I wanted to let you see the group photo I took last week. It was around 4 pm. It was a balming 90 degrees. No getting away from the harsh sunlight. The coach only spared me about 3 minutes. I had everyone look down, close their eyes and I took the shot on the count of 3.

I am happy with the photo. It looks better than I expected but I know there is room for improvement. There should not be any complaints from the parents. I work for free!!! I will be taking the group shot again this weekend. Two of the players were absent. We needed a photo anyway to submit for the tournament.

Feedback Please! This is how I learn.

Cannon 300D, 18-55mm lens, f/8, fill flash used

dasloaf

center the players. It seems that 5 in front of 5 would be best.

hj Loc: Florida

Pretty good... bigger players should be in the rear. Tell the dude to lose his sunglasses.... not cool in a photo.

Dheaton Loc: Boulder, Utah

Here are a couple of suggestions.
1. Pose your team as if there were no coaches then add the coaches later.
2. have the first row all doing the same pose
3. Have the 2nd row step over the legs of the boys in the first row so that they are much closer to the same focal length and the heads are the same size
3. If you used your pop up flash don't bother because it did no good. If you have a stronger flash then use it.
4. Put the sun at the back of the boys and meter for the shade then with your flash you will have great accent lighting from the sun and good lighting from your flash for the faces.
5. I have never been good at having kids all open their eyes at the same time and when they do open their eyes they still squint because now their eyes are adjusted to darkness so at the moment they open their eyes it is brighter than it would have been if they just keep it open. If you still plan on doing it this way and the image is important then you better take several shots and plan on doing head swaps in photoshop.
6. MAKE the coaches take off the sun glasses. They may not like it but tell them it is important.
I have more suggestions but I am sure this is good for now.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

I'm glad you followed up with an image. I for one, was looking forward to your results.

The image looks off a little. The players in the front row appear larger than the players in the back row. Looking at the feet, it looks like the back row is standing about 2.5 ' behind the front row. They are farther back and look smaller. All of them. There is probably a term for this. I don't know what it is.

Since you are reshooting, I would consider the following:

1.Have the short half players, on the front row.
2.Taller players on back row. Have back row move in tight,
right behind front row.
3.Back row could turn at angle for better foot placement.
4.Try to have coaches behind the end players.
5.Or whatever you decide would create the best image.
6.Use the 55mm focal length on your lens. Fame
image, "click". Players should all appear the same size.
7.Maybe, step back about 4 or 5 steps, reframe and "click".
This will give you some room to crop the perfect image.

Hopefully, others will jump in offer something even better!!
Please post results!
Pat

Timarron Loc: Southwest

I would second (or third) on the opinion that it looks like the back row kids are the smallest and should therefore be in front. Also, and I think I mentioned this before.....try to avoid having one kids head directly over the top of the other kids.

Stagger them so the faces each have their own vertical slice of the photo. All said, this is a very good first effort and the parents probably won't even notice all we've said here and just enjoy the pic.

TTKBJR Loc: Kansas

I agree with what everyone else has said about the photo and grouping and positioning etc...
But, knowing that age group of boys and that the coaches only allow a few short minutes to get the group photo before a game, I think it looks pretty good. Improvements can always be made and you learn from each time you take it. The next one you take you will have learned from what you did and didn't do for this one.
My only suggestion to possibly give you some more time to take the photo is to have everyone show up a bit earlier than the coach has requested them to be there. Also make sure the soccer ball is in the center either on the ground or have the goalie in the middle holding it. Good job for your first time.