Part Two C - Posing Groups
by Chuck Gardner
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Posing Large Groups
Large groups present a few technical as well as compositional challenges. There may be several feet of space between the front and back of the group that can cause focus and perspective problems. If there is no means to elevate the people in the back of the group their faces may be obscured.  The
solution to both of these problems is to find an elevated camera position.
Shooting down on the group places the camera film / sensor more parallel with
the head which eliminates perspective and focus problems. It also fills the
frame with people rather than blank sky. This technique is illustrated in the photos
I took for the Kaibigan Ermita Outreach Foundation Girl Choir CD cover. I first
arranged the girls in row using benches in the garden there. I put the smallest
girls in the back on the highest bench. I then went up to the second floor balcony
overlooking the garden and shot down on the group.
 The angle of the camera
relative to the ground was almost identical to the angle of the girl's heads
the there is very little distortion and everyone is in
focus. As you can see from the second picture taken at ground level a few
minutes later the perspective caused by the distance between the front and back
rows.
 This photo used on the front cover of
the CD illustrates you can get better group shots if you have the people do
something like waving. This photo was posed to some extent to position the
girls on the side of the jeepney so the flags would not be hidden but the rest
was spontaneous.
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