Tutorials

Organize the group quickly and provide clear instructions. Close the diaphragm so everyone will be in focus.

Taking a group photo is an exercise in staging that requires observational skills, concentration, and patience.
Start by finding a place that is large enough to accommodate everyone, and that has uniform light and a neutral background. When shooting outside, opt for a shady area so your subjects aren’t squinting into the sun and their faces aren’t cast in shadow. When shooting inside, move the group away from the background.

Schedule a time when everyone is available for the photo. Organize people according to their height, and take into consideration their clothing when placing them and composing the shot. If the photo is formal, ask everyone to adjust their clothing and remove any bulky accessories before taking the picture.

Organizing a group photo takes time, but it’s important to work as quickly as possible. The process shouldn’t take more than five to ten minutes at most to prevent people from losing patience. For small groups, you can divide people into one or two rows so everyone is visible. If the group is larger, find an incline to work with. Arrange your subjects on a hill if you’re shooting outside, or on a staircase. You can even stand on a stool to take the photo from above. If there are more than fifteen people, you’ll need a large staircase to arrange everyone properly. You can also take the photo from a height — for example, you can shoot from a window of a building while looking down on the group below. This will allow you to see everyone. More importantly, everyone will be looking at you, even the youngest children in the group.

When you’re ready to start shooting, select Aperture priority mode (A mode). This will let you control the focus area in your image with a diaphragm of ƒ/8 or ƒ/11. The shutter speed should be at least 1/60 s to ensure that everyone will be in focus even if they move. If the shutter speed is too slow, increase the sensitivity.

Place the DxO ONE on the Stand accessory to attach it to a tripod. This prevents the camera from moving when you press the shutter button and lets you maintain a consistent frame if you’re taking multiple group photos.

Ask the people in the group to look at you, and get their attention by giving them verbal instructions. Ask for silence by explaining that photographing people mid-word doesn’t produce a flattering picture.
If you are taking pictures of several groups, kindly ask those who are waiting not to take photos at the same time you are. Otherwise, the people in the group won’t be looking at your camera.

Once you’ve taken a formal photo and everyone in the group is where they need to be, you can take a fun picture. When taking wedding pictures, move on to off-the-cuff photos with smaller groups for an effect that’s more natural and less posed.

If you want to be in the photo, make a space for yourself in the group and set your DxO ONE’s timer to 10 seconds so you have time to get into position.