When it comes to taking ANY photo, good lighting is key but more times than not, good lighting takes a backseat when group photos come into play. It’s absolutely key to consider good lighting when thinking about a small group or even a large group of people. As a client, thinking about an ideal time, place and best lighting for your photographer to capture the group in a good light.
Here are some ideas to consider the next time you’re considering a group portrait at your portrait session or upcoming event:
Natural Light is Easy and Simple
I love natural light, it is a very flattering option for group photos. It’s soft, casts evenly and brings out natural skin colors. For outdoor group photos, here are 2 types of natural light options you can consider: Clouds, Shade.
Cloudy days are my favorite types of days to photograph in. The clouds essentially cover up the Sun and everything looks smooth even and soft this is ideal for accurate skin tone colors and there is little chance for any Infamous racoon eyes.
If there aren’t any clouds around, try looking for areas that have shade. A tree and under a balcony, etc are safe options to consider in a pinch. As long as there is enough space for everyone in your group, this area would be a suitable space for a group portrait using just natural light.
What About Indoors?
In the case that your event is indoors, natural light could still be an option. Having your group facing an indoor window can still bring in wonderful light from the outside. If for whatever reason, the windows are too small for the group or there isn’t enough light source from outside finding available light inside is the second best option.
However, I must warn clients to really pay attention to the characteristics of the light you’re about to use. What color is the light? Is it a cool color? Is it a yellow color? Is it white? If the lighting is white, this is your most ideal available light for your group image. Personally, I would avoid colors such as yellow or unnatural colors like purple, blue, green etc.
Another thing to avoid are lights pointing downward overhead of the group as this can create deep shadows around the eye area called, racoon eyes.
If the budget and location allow for access to different lighting, I would suggest asking the team to change the lighting that best suits the group’s needs.
Solutions from the Photographer
If outdoor lighting is not an option and indoor lighting is not ideal or if you simply just don’t want to be overwhelmed, confer with your photographer about how the photographer can mitigate the situation. You absolutely should have this conversation so that the photographer can prepare lighting equipment to best light the group. Also include information about the group size as well as the room the group will be in so the photographer can adequetly prepare.
Solutions photographers bring to the table are additional lighting equipment and diffusers that can soften the light so that it’s similar to natural light or window light. For larger groups, it will be important to know ahead of time as some photographers might like to bring multiple light sources to light everyone evenly.
Lastly, having the time to make sure everything is set perfectly for the group photo. Depending on the size of the group being photographed, troubleshooting for the group photo may take a bit of time. In my experience a group photo that is to simply document the number of participants for an event can take up to 10 minutes. I’m not only considering lighting a part of the equation but also posing and positioning each person so that we can see their faces clearly.
In the End
Good lighting is the foundation of any good photo regardless of it’s a group of 100 people, 10 people or one person. By thinking about how well you would like each person in your group to be seen and lit you guarantee success for your vision. Have an in-depth conversation with your photographer so that they can provide you with the necessary steps to creating a successful group portrait session or group photo at an upcoming event.
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