Large family shoot, 13 people

So my cousin will be coming in from out of town for Thanksgiving and he contacted me to do some photos for him. These photos would include his family, his two sisters and their families and his parents. Total of 13 people (7 adults and 6 kids). Any tips anyone would like to offer on working with such a large group? We will be doing these photos outdoors, broken down into each family group and photos with everyone in one group. Any suggestions or tips on things to be aware of are appreciated.

Thanks!

Arrange them tightly together. Tell them to "pretend like you like each other" - that'll break the ice a little bit. If they are spread out enough to have comfortable personal space, they'll look miles apart in the photos.

Try not to have many rows; if the subjects are in many rows then it'll be hard to keep them all in focus without a very small aperture. Two rows, and have the back row come in very close. Kids can sit/kneel in front, but make sure they're not way out in front of the group.

If you can, use a stepstool or a short ladder to shoot from slightly above. This will help make all the faces more visible (not hidden behind front row), and due to the angle it'll be easier to keep the group all in focus.

Use slow burst mode, and for each shot take a small batch of three to five shots in rapid succession. That way, if you get blinks or other unflattering things, it'll be easy to swap heads and faces within each batch.

Thanks so much for the tips, I especially like the last one about burst mode. Looking forward to this one. Thanks again!

Here are some sites with ideas or tips:
http://www.pinterest.c​om …family-photo-shoot-ideas/
http://clickitupanotch​.com …/photograph-large-groups/
http://www.digitalcame​raworld.com …ng-tips-for-group-photos/
http://improvephotogra​phy.com …and-my-cell-phone-number/

Thanks for the tips, I picked up a few good ideas

Seat the tall people, stand the short people. That way everyone's face will be at reasonably the same height. If you have seen a portrait of a standing 6 foot 2 inch guy beside his 5 foot 2 inch wife then you will know why my advice is sound.

Benji

And try not to get the heads all lined up in a row. Better to have repeating triangular patterns. It's all about geometry.

Thanks everyone I see them today at 10am. I'm looking forward to it and appreciate the tips

Good luck!