Portrait sessions can vary in many ways, one being the size of the group you are shooting. Do not be afraid, these tips for larger families and larger groups will help you create the perfect group portrait, no matter where or how many people.
What is considered a large group photos?
Large group portraits usually start with six or more people. Large group shot may include children or are composed of adults. It all depends on the type of session you are shooting.
It can also reach up to 20 people, especially if you are shooting a wedding party or a family with smaller family units mixed together.
Rule of perfect pose for any type of grouping
The most useful laying rule for large groups is to use the triangle method.
This is where you put people standing or sitting, or a mix of both, and if you draw imaginary lines connecting their heads, they would create triangles. This method is best not to put people's heads on top of each other (like a totem), which would create an uncomfortable photograph.
Use the triangle method to pose large groups.
This method works for any type of grouping of three or more people. However, for large groups of 10 people or more, this laying rule is perfect for everyone on the photo to be visible. just make sure no one's head is directly behind another person's head.
Large families
Large families may be nuclear families where there are more than five people or extended portraits where more than one nuclear family will be represented.
The key is to put the families in different combinations in the same place, so you can offer your client more poses without having to move too much.
Always put the parents in the middle and then the rest of the family from there. Parents are a central element in any portrait and from there you can direct your eyes to children or other families.
For example, for a portrait of a family of five, start by placing parents in the center of your photo. Then put the bigger kids next to each parent. Smaller children can be placed between the larger child and the parent, creating the triangle.
Then you can place the family in the same order as when she was standing. If there are really young children, they can stand and kiss another member of the family from behind. Know where their heads are placed to create triangles and see each family member in the portrait.
Ask the family sitting or standing up.
In the same place, you can then ask the family to stand up and showing the full body. This gives them a little more space while keeping them at arm's length. Ask them to interact with each other by posing for the camera.
Do not forget the triangles in this pose too! It may sound a bit awkward if you put two members of the same family together. Try to move family members from side to side to create more variety.
It will be a good idea to give room to the family while standing up.
For larger families, walking is a good way to get more natural pictures of everyone. Laying nuclear families together.
For example, if you have a family of 16 with grandparents, put the grandparents in the center and then reunite the families on both sides keeping the children with their parents.
Keep in mind that if this sounds a little awkward, it will probably be the same for the photo. By taking more time and moving people, you will have the right pose even before taking the picture.
Finally, try to put some people away from the center to give more depth to the photo. Facing everyone towards the center is a good starting point. However, with large groups, it is best to try different poses to be able to offer your customers an assortment of different options.
Connect people
There is nothing more embarrassing than people who stand with arms on their sides. With families, especially large groups, try to make sure your customers connect to each other.
You can do this by grouping the main people (parents or grandparents) in the center, facing each other, then into a group of smaller families, each family member touching another person. This shows the connection between small family units in the big family picture and shows the heat.
Resting your hands on your shoulders, holding hands, hugging and tucking your fingers behind your back, putting your hand on someone's arm, or asking someone for help to press on the shoulders of another are good examples of linkage.
Connecting people to a photo also helps to get rid of the most commonly heard question: "What should I do with my hands?
For the people, you place on the edges of the family portrait, keep in mind that they are turning to the center so they do not look out of place. If they are men and there are no children present, ask them to put a hand in their pocket. If they are women, make sure they are not too short, otherwise, they will look out of place.
In conclusion
Laying large families may seem like a big challenge, however, using the triangle pose method can help a lot in getting different combinations and poses. This will give your customers an assortment of poses and keep the whole experience fun and light, which will make them want to take more portraits in the future!
