advice needed for photo shoot

[CUBSFN]

i just joined this forum and have found the advice invaluable, but also a little overwhelming at times. i'm now asking for your thoughts and suggestions for a photo shoot i have mid-week. these photos are from the first go-round, so unfortunately, this week's is a re-shoot. the shot is going to be used on a magazine cover (college publication, so the shot has to be vertical). i am open to different arrangements with this team of 25, but right now, am planning on trying this again (minus one player up front - not a good move). the location was not good (and not my call this first time) - and as you can see, the sun was brutal; the faces are blown out. it was a wide open area with little shade, although the shadows from one another were tough to deal with, too. i've tried to allowed more time this go-round, since they were in such a hurry to be done on this occasion. i welcome any and all advice, from setting up the shot, to what my camera settings should be, etc. thanks in advance.

[Titus213]

Wow, that is challenging. The only thing I could think of is perhaps get a higher vantage point and group them tight. I would love to see what you come up with.

[CUBSFN]

thanks for your reply. i do hope to get higher tomorrow; this first time i was on a picnic table (the highest thing i could find), but tomorrow i have arranged for a ladder. i'll try and group them tighter, too. i took some that way the first time, but then i spread them out a bit. i'll post the new (and i hope improved) versions ...

thanks again.

[Robert_Lay]

Before reading your intro and before reading the other's comments, my immediate reaction is that you need to be in the landscape format with no more than 3 ranks of people, tallest in back. The row in front of them should be the shortest people, standing so as to line up in between the two people immediatey behind, then the front row is to be kneeling.

There was open shade nearby, but you did not take advantage of it. You need to get everyone in the shade of a building so that there are no direct rays of the sun hitting anyone. But you need open sky above the group. That will give you less harsh lighting.

Edit:
I don't buy the vertical format, even if it is on a magazine cover. Shoot it both ways, so that you are covered, but try to negotiate with the layout staff after the shoot, and see if they can't arrange it so as to be a landscape photo on their vertical page layout.

P.S. It is absolutely essential to get that harsh lighting under control - otherwise, all you will have is blank white faces and deep shadows.

[CUBSFN]

indeed, the sun was setting, so shade became available later in the shoot. i will be in a different location tomorrow, but will try to find whatever shade i can. these are two groups shots i took (one with them looking into the sun, one with me shooting into the sun); i was just trying to come up with something different (and vertical). i appreciate your feedback, and will work to incorporate the advice. thank you.