1) I don't want to shoot "normal" shots at "regular" locations such as a park. Will shots downtown, more urban shots be okay?
Ok, I'm a high school volleyball, basketball, and baseball coach along with photographer. If someone is taking my teams pics I want them in the atmosphere they are in all the time for the games, tournaments, competitions, whatever. As a former college player I wanted my pics in the atmosphere I'm most in (baseball I want it on the field, football I want it on the field). A photographer did our team photos outside one year for my v-ball team, when we're an indoor sport (not to mention he did it on a 20mph windy day with girls so there hair was straight across there face!) I wasn't pleaseed at all and I heard so many complaints from parents with the quote "we're an indoor sport" that I wanted to go back in time and slap the photographer. Now those shots are fine for some purposes, but for what you described I would want more traditional personally. EDIT: Unless it was like a senior pic, then a diff. local would be fine, or if the school is a city school and the background was something that represented it and put it all together.
2) Is my lens wide enough for the fourteen girls?
17-50 will be fine, but the 420 I don't like...580EX is the best flash I've used. I couldn't get the fill I wanted with the 420. I shoot my team photos with a 50mm 1.4 & 580EX (and my portraits for that matter).
3) Do/Should I use the flash or a reflector for the team shots?
Yes...and maybe no...doing team photos for a Phillies affiliate I would do some with and some without - sometimes the ones with were the best while others without were the best, depending on the light of the day. 14 girls should be easy to shoot but it depends on the light and where you're at, the angle, etc.
4) Do I need to have the girls sign a release form?
No, unless you are going to use there pics for marketing purposes.
5) What metering mode should I shoot in? Focus points?
Use all focus points for the team photo, make sure it's on more than one area. Individual photos, face, face, face, face, face, and then make sure it's on the face.
6) I'm thinking of early morning but I'm sure these girls will find a way to be late...grrr...
In this part of the world I wouldn't do early morning, just because the light sucks around here until about 10am, I haven't figured out why.
7) Examples anybody?
Don't have any cheer ones, just soccer, football, baseball, b-ball, etc.
Tip #1 - make up packages, find a lab, make them pay, make sure they're good, done. If you do them for free then you'll get more requests for free, and that's not what you want. To charge though, make sure your stuff is good...which is...
Tip #2 - grab a friend, and take some pics of her for practice as a "cheerleader" or why not your sis who is? Don't go into the shoot blind, know what you're doing.
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It seems to fit them well.
