In my career as a photographer, I have come across many amateurs who did the silliest mistakes when taking group photos. This is a general digital camera photography tips for people who want to take such shots, like pictures of kids or pet or any other non-candid photo session.
1. Getting ready for the event
Plan the event. Think about what you want to immortalize, consider every shot you will take and think of the who’s, where’s and how’s. Design the whole arrangement beforehand, put it on paper if you have to. Don’t improvise and your results will be better.
2. Take multiple shots for the same scene
No matter how perfect the posing setup is, something will go wrong. Don’t count on people not blinking simply because you told them not to. Take 5-6 photos of each pose, so that you have where to choose from. Use additional memory cards if you don’t have enough storage space, or download the pictures to a computer.
3. Don’t rely on the 3″ screen
No, you can’t spot problems on the LCD screen, simply because it’s too small to show every detail. Always use a photo editing software to fine-tune the pictures and only use the camera screen for general framing of the scene and confirmation that everyone is in.
4. “Say Cheese!”
A natural smile looks so much better than a fake one. Always have some joke at hand and make the group laugh at the very moment you are taking the shot.
5. Watch out for mirrors
Unless you plan to get a nice depiction of your flash, avoid having any mirrors or anything reflective in the background that is perpendicular to your camera angle. At best, try to avoid such surfaces altogether, as they could produce unexpected results.
6. Wide angle
In case of large groups, pay special attention to the left and rightmost people: you wouldn’t want to leave them out. As a rule, try to get the “end people” as far away from the frame borders as possible, in case the photo might need to be cropped further on.
This set of digital camera photography tips should not be counted as state of the art rules, but rather as advice coming from a seasoned photographer.
Getting the perfect camera, is never an easy thing, especially with the way digital technology is constantly changing. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the camera with all the features important to you.
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