Wide angle lens for group photos.

[Nathaniel]

I do not know how many members use a wide angle lens like say the Canon 16-35mm lens for group photographs? I have been requested to take approx a 60 strong group on 2nd April (in day light and outdoors) and I am wondering whether I am better off using my 24-105mm lens or the Sigma 15-30mm lens with my 6D.

Thanks
Nat

[tesarver]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

You need to be careful taking people with the wide angle, especially at the widest end as it can elongate people's limbs

Tom

[jimsphotography]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Yes - Tom is correct. Also people can take on the appearance of a banana shape distortion towards the outer edges.
Probably best to only use the wider end of a wide angle lens when there is no other option ( for example when there is no way of getting further back to get the group in)
James

[Nathaniel]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Thanks Tom & James. This is what has been troubling me. The good thing is that I have enough room to go back to get everyone in- as long as the weather is good on 2nd April. The clerics will be most disappointed if I don't get everyone into the photo and they are not distorted in any way.

[rcarca]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

60 is a big group. Another possibility is to take three (or more) photographs going from left to right and then joining them in photostitch... Even if you do it in one frame wide and from a long distance, make sure you have some room to left and right for any distortion correction. And a final thought, can you get above them so that you are looking down? Perhaps from some steps or a window? You can get a good picture that way sometimes.

[Stan]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

And a final thought, can you get above them so that you are looking down? Perhaps from some steps or a window

a trick often used by wedding photographers to get the whole group in shot

Stan

[Nathaniel]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Thanks Richard and Stan. I might try that as well since this is a once in year shot; the only difficulty I might have is that I am not too steady on my feet to stand on a chair or step ladder. This is one time I miss the hinged LCD screen as both my camera bodies don't have this. However, I am sure I will be able to pull it off when I look around as to what is available to give me the required height-may be get the subjects to stand in a "dip" where the ground is on a slope and I move to the top of the slope!!

P.S- the 60+ group covers all the priests in the Diocese of St.Asaph who will be at the cathedral on the 2nd.

[antoeknee]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Your 6D has wireless IIRC. So you can connect a tablet and use a remote shooting option. So you view the image on the tablet instead of the screen on the camera.

Some info http://www.wexphotographic.com/blog/...fi-walkthrough

[CountDavid]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

... I am not too steady on my feet to stand on a chair or step ladder.

Hi Nat - I don''t know the layout of the Cathedral but would the organ give you an elevated position overlooking the choir stalls?

David

[jk224]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Nat, don't try to go all the way up stepladders, go 2 or 3 steps up and then then rest your elbows on the flat top. This should give you enough height and keep you steady taking the shot. My stepladders are aluminium, which is light enough to carry around.

When I took the group shots at my nieces wedding I used my nifty fifty, just moved back until everyone was in shot.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Thanks David,Ant,& John for your good and sound ideas.The Organ loft is a good idea with the subjects in the choir stalls but due to the large number of people who will need to be in the photograph,it could be difficult. Most probably I will take my own aluminium step ladder,which has decent hand grips,good rubberised steps etc and yes, rest the lens on the top step and I think this will work out. The photo shoot will be outside the cathedral,weather permitting.

As a matter of interest John, how many people were your neices' wedding photo? I will have to photograph over 60 people minimum.

[jk224]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Biggest group was 31 adults and 5 children at the front Nat. I took several minutes to arrange everyone, and make sure I could see everyone's face (I also left a space for myself, and then ran around to get in the picture once I'd set the self-timer!). I'm sure there are others on here with more experience than me with better advice, but with such a big group I had some of the shorter people stood in front of the taller ones and then the kiddies in front of them (I assume not a requirement in your situation!). Are there any high ranked dignitaries? If so, perhaps a row of chairs for these at the front.

I once took a photo of the staff in my laboratory, which was about 40. For this, though, we had the luxury of about 5 steps into a wide entrance door, which I see from pictures of St Asaphs I googled you don't appear to have. Again, I took several minutes to make sure I could see everyone's face, but inevitably someone at the back was "hiding", and predictably this was the person who moaned that they weren't on the picture! I also stood on a 4ft pillar to get a bit of height.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Wide angle lens for group photos.

Thank you John. A great help. Yes, I must arrange the crowd so that everyone's faces are seen. There is of course the Bishop and a few others but for photo shoots like the one that has been suggested to me, it will be more casual although wearing their respective robes. So there will be no special front seats for anyone except for the shorter people. No chairs either with everyone standing.