Group Photos and indoor lighting

bellaphoto

HELP, i am not sure if i posted this in the correct Forum, i was asked by a Friend to Photograph his Highschool Reunion, All i own is a Nikon D40 with the basic Lens 18-55 and one zoom lens 55-200. i have never photographed large groups like this and do not know what i would need. some of it is outdoor and most is indoor at the school. i need advice. the last time i photographed a large group, most of the people came out Blurred and out of Focus. do i need more light, an assistant, a flash attachement??? i am pretty new to Photography but he is giving me a great opportunity here. Please Please Help. Thanks

Romina

MrBook2

I have never photographed anything quite that large, so I don't think I can be that much help. But I can say a few things while we wait for someone more knowledgeable to come and reply.

First off, yes, you probably need more light, but that is almost always true. You always want to have too much light at your disposal. If at all possible, you might want to try and do the biggest group shot early in the day, before the Sun goes down, so you can get everyone outside or near some large windows. The Sun is a very bright light source, and best of all, free. You will need to take some care if you try and do it in full sunlight, because you can get some bad shadows or have everyone squinting. Also, how big is this group? Is it a small private school with like 50 people, or is it a big class of 300 or more?

What is your budget like? Do you have the money to buy some additional lighting equipment? If you are near a large city, you might be able to rent some strobes to get the job done. I think there might be a couple of places online that will rent strobes as well, but I don't know for sure. Whatever the case, if you are going to use some new lighting equipment, try and get it ahead of time so you can learn how to use it.

If you are photographing a large group, you will have two conflicting desires: you want a fast shutter speed so that no one is moving. But you want a higher f-stop to make sure you have a good wide depth of field to get everyone in focus. This all points towards (you guessed it) more light.


Those are my thoughts to tide you over until someone who has done this sort of thing comes along. Good luck.

--Aaron

geospatial_junkie

I would be upfront with your friend and tell him that you will do your best, but you cannot promise anything. These situations can be difficult, especially without the equipment. I would tell you to go rent some strobes, etc... but that doesn't mean you'll know how to use them properly (take time to learn this)! If you are asking for money, then be on the low end.

If I were in this situation, I would find out what you are dealing with inside first (go a week before or so to find out). Secondly, I would probably try to photograph as much as possible outside (i.e. all the large groups and small groups). At least those will come out!

Without external flashes, you'll have to bump up your ISO to at least 800 or more depending on the lighting. I don't really know how to D40 handles this, but you should be ok. Also, bring a tripod and remote release for the group shots if possible. This will add a little insurance that your shot will be sharp.

I hope this helps! This can be a good situation to cut-your-teeth if all parties know what to expected (see first paragraph). At least you weren't posting a... "My friend asked me to photograph his wedding with my D40...." question.:D

Let us know how it goes and post examples the good folks at Dgrin can help!