You can count me in if you need any volunteer, I can also bring my Strobe lights also. I do school jobs and I think I can learn from this experience too.
How to take a 200 people group photo? Advices please
- Thread starter Tony K
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Being a complete novice to this type of photography, allow me to bring a fresh approach.
What I would do is change the venue to an area outside any building with a balcony. Get everyone (200 is not THAT many people) to assemble in that area. The photographer will be on the balcony (2nd or even 3rd storey). Outdoor sunlight will be much better than any indoor light or flash. Make sure it's a shaded area (on the shadow side of the building) otherwise the sunlight will cast harsh shadows. This also solves the problem of having to have tiers of people. Everyone will be looking up, which can be a fun and unique perspective. The face is the important thing, not the body.
Timing and coordination is important. Have a signal (eg whistle), and tell everyone that when they hear the whistle, they should all look at the photographer. Otherwise there will surely be one or two jokers talking or whispering to each other, and spoiling the shot.
Another option to consider, if you are willing to consider digital, is a panorama! You can take overlapping sections of the group, and stitch it into a panorama. Panorama Tools (freeware) allows you to stitch up and down as well as left and right, so you could divide the crowd into four or nine sections, take pictures of those sections, and stitch everything into one large, high resolution panorama. Everyone's face will be clearly shown. In fact, you could take a few shots of each section, and choose the best of each to incorporate into the panorama.
Check out http://users.erols.com/maxlyons/ for more info, as well as the download links for the software.
What I would do is change the venue to an area outside any building with a balcony. Get everyone (200 is not THAT many people) to assemble in that area. The photographer will be on the balcony (2nd or even 3rd storey). Outdoor sunlight will be much better than any indoor light or flash. Make sure it's a shaded area (on the shadow side of the building) otherwise the sunlight will cast harsh shadows. This also solves the problem of having to have tiers of people. Everyone will be looking up, which can be a fun and unique perspective. The face is the important thing, not the body.
Timing and coordination is important. Have a signal (eg whistle), and tell everyone that when they hear the whistle, they should all look at the photographer. Otherwise there will surely be one or two jokers talking or whispering to each other, and spoiling the shot.
Another option to consider, if you are willing to consider digital, is a panorama! You can take overlapping sections of the group, and stitch it into a panorama. Panorama Tools (freeware) allows you to stitch up and down as well as left and right, so you could divide the crowd into four or nine sections, take pictures of those sections, and stitch everything into one large, high resolution panorama. Everyone's face will be clearly shown. In fact, you could take a few shots of each section, and choose the best of each to incorporate into the panorama.
Check out http://users.erols.com/maxlyons/ for more info, as well as the download links for the software.
I've seen a photo with >100 people one row deep and it's taken more than 15 years ago!!!! The pic is pretty long, ~1m. Breadth about 15 cm.
Originally posted by Tony K
Lennier,
Thanks, I appreciate it. :thumbsup:
But PaiSeh leh.
As the group photo taking is on 8th & 15th June (Saturdays) morning at NTU, still quite a long time to go.
In the mean time, I'll try to contact a few more friends.
Tony, are you from NTU? Which MPH of NTU are you going to have the photo-shoot?
I'm from NTU and if you need any assistance, do feel free to contact me.
My society has a 550 EX, if you need you can borrow from me if it's available.
I myself also have a SB26.
Hi Streetshooter,
I think your first suggestion to shoot outdoors, gather everyone at the shady side of the building & shoot from the balcony is a good idea. I'll liase with my friends inside the camp commitee to recce for a nice suitable location near the halls that we're using. Have to pray hard for a nice weather that day.
If shoot outdoor under shade, is Fuji NPH 400 suitable?
With regards to the other suggestion using multiple overlapping digital shots , I did thought about it before. The only problem is that all our camp participants are students, digital Super 8R prints are more expensive compared to 35mm negative prints.
But I might consider to get a fellow friend in our Youth Group who owns a Nikon Coolpix to take multiple digital overlapping photos & digitally stitch them together. Then maybe we just print 1pc of digital 14R or 20R photo for our Youth Group to keep.
Where do I go to print such large 14R / 20R digital photo & roughly how much does it cost?
Hi Bean,
Nope I'm not from NTU.
Thanks for your offer, I'll keep it in mind.
If we're shooting outdoors, we might not need it.
I don't know which MPH, no info from our camp organising committe at the moment. But do you have any recommendations?
Thanks
I think your first suggestion to shoot outdoors, gather everyone at the shady side of the building & shoot from the balcony is a good idea. I'll liase with my friends inside the camp commitee to recce for a nice suitable location near the halls that we're using. Have to pray hard for a nice weather that day.
If shoot outdoor under shade, is Fuji NPH 400 suitable?
With regards to the other suggestion using multiple overlapping digital shots , I did thought about it before. The only problem is that all our camp participants are students, digital Super 8R prints are more expensive compared to 35mm negative prints.
But I might consider to get a fellow friend in our Youth Group who owns a Nikon Coolpix to take multiple digital overlapping photos & digitally stitch them together. Then maybe we just print 1pc of digital 14R or 20R photo for our Youth Group to keep.
Where do I go to print such large 14R / 20R digital photo & roughly how much does it cost?
Hi Bean,
Nope I'm not from NTU.
Thanks for your offer, I'll keep it in mind.
If we're shooting outdoors, we might not need it.
I don't know which MPH, no info from our camp organising committe at the moment. But do you have any recommendations?
Thanks
For your info, the 8R's I printed at Standard Photo (from digital jpgs) cost me $4.50 each. Not sure how much 35mm costs, but can't be THAT much cheaper.
Tony,
If you are taking outdoor and are not particular about the surrounding, there are many staircases in NTU you might like to use. The staircase near LT2 is quite wide and you might like to consider that and thus not need to worry about tables and chairs. The area there is under shade as well.
Cheers.
Hi,
I actually have a friend who owns a Kodak Express shop.
So for our bulk reprint of a few hundreds Super 8R from film, he can give me a very special price. He'll also colour correct & print a few samples before doing the bulk printing.
For digital 8R prints, he say he'll have to charge me slightly higher.
Well... I'll think about it again :dunno:
Have to re-evaluate the entire situation again.
Decisions ... Decisions ... Decisions...
Well, I have more than 1 month to think, try & experiment.
:angel:
Best Regards,
Tony
I actually have a friend who owns a Kodak Express shop.
So for our bulk reprint of a few hundreds Super 8R from film, he can give me a very special price. He'll also colour correct & print a few samples before doing the bulk printing.
For digital 8R prints, he say he'll have to charge me slightly higher.
Well... I'll think about it again :dunno:
Have to re-evaluate the entire situation again.
Decisions ... Decisions ... Decisions...
Well, I have more than 1 month to think, try & experiment.
:angel:
Best Regards,
Tony
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