Lgm wrote:
Dheaton wrote:
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.
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?
quote=Dheaton Do not use the popup flash on you... (
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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 8 or better 11, 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 11, 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