Group Portraits Behind the Scenes: from a Top Toronto Corporate Headshot And Event Photographer
Group photography may seem like a walk in the park. Get everyone to look at the camera at the same time and then take the photo, and voila! Group photo! In reality it's not as easy as that. In this article I'll show you some before and after of how a group photo starts and ends.
Placement of your subjects if incredibly important when planning out a group photo. Height of each person, what they're wearing, and how they are sitting or standing lends to the over all final image. Annie Liebovitz and Art Streiber do excellent work with their group photos, however more often than not corporate group photos are rushed and subjects are not as experienced as the actors and models that these celebrity photographers do.
The way I succeed at creating and capturing corporate group photos is to be as prepared as possible. I pre scout the location with the company PR person so I know what light I've got and what I need to bring, as well as how large the room is. We talk about furniture and props that need to be removed and what can be brought in to enhance the photo. My team and I turn up to the location three hours before the load in and test light. Multiple rows of people mean that the lighting has to be incredibly exact otherwise you risk having shadow on the rows behind and out of focus photos.
Once everything is set up I have each person come into the room one at a time and then sit and wait for the next person. We arrange subjects and take the photo as fast as possible. I photograph using a tripod as it is likely that I'll be needing to take heads from one photo and put them on another. Group photos NEVER have everyone looking correct at the same time. After the shoot I start the post production process often dropping in a background to account for the photo not being taken in a studio but in a hotel suite, or side conference room. And Ta da!!!! Group corporate photos!
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Toronto Corporate Headshot Event and Branding Photographer and Videographer