Corporate Event

Hello All,

I’ll be taking pictures our corporate event in a few months and looking for some tips. The biggest challenge I think I will run into is a group picture of approximately 300 people. Do you have any tips for shooting large groups of people? What should I avoid?

Best regards,
Mike

300 people...I would "avoid" the whole event!!!

good luck

LOL -- I have no choice, I have to go regardless.

Is it inside or outside?

Hello Bobby,

The event is a multi-day event in New Orleans, primarily held indoors in a hotel. I’m not sure of the exact location yet, but I imagine there will be a lot of opportunity to shoot indoors and some opportunity for outside shots near sunset or less light based on our last events. The typical flow is mass group events, breakout sessions, awards dinner, offsite events, etc. and the group photo…spanned over several days.

I primarily shoot airshows, landscapes and underwater – not people. Our staff “people-photographer” has moved on, and a group photo of 300 people is definitely new to me. The group shot is the one I am most concerned about.

I’m thinking about supplementing my gear by renting faster wide primes for the group picture (to cover indoor) and a fisheye for effect. I am also thinking about renting a faster longer prime for indoors use, and some extra lighting. I typically don’t need extra lighting above water, but I do think I need it and I’m open to suggestions.

Thanks for your time!

Best regards,
Mike

If you have a wide room, you should be fine, or if you can get on a balcony of some sorts and have all the people situated below. When we had a class shoot (300+ seniors) the photog got on top of the school building and took the shot that way. If its a nice hotel, which for a big event like this is should be, they should have a big conference room. I doubt itll be slammed full with tables, you you might be able to situate them on a wall and back up to take the shot. I shot a group of 15 people the other day 10 feet away, 17mm, and still had a good bit of negative space. your 16-35 should do the job, pending enough room. Hope I got your mind thinking for some ideas! I go to NOLA from time to time with club photography and love it. Good luck, Mike!

Knockout05 wrote in post #10857660
If you have a wide room, you should be fine, or if you can get on a balcony of some sorts and have all the people situated below. When we had a class shoot (300+ seniors) the photog got on top of the school building and took the shot that way. If its a nice hotel, which for a big event like this is should be, they should have a big conference room. I doubt itll be slammed full with tables, you you might be able to situate them on a wall and back up to take the shot. I shot a group of 15 people the other day 10 feet away, 17mm, and still had a good bit of negative space. your 16-35 should do the job, pending enough room. Hope I got your mind thinking for some ideas! I go to NOLA from time to time with club photography and love it. Good luck, Mike!

How is he going to light those 300+ people.

MAGIC

My $.02:

A LOT of hotels have lobbies or center courtyards. An upper floor would make a nice vantage point with the 300 people gathered below. Another alternative is to put the outside (weather permitting) and shoot from a balcony.

In your equipment listing, it looks like you have two VERY usable lenses: The 16-35 and the 70-200. I don't see why you can't take the group with your 16-35 and the portraits with the 70-200. I guess a 24-70 would be nice if you were going to do full-length shots in a confined area.

If you are VERY concerned about lens speed, you could rent a wide prime, but you probably wouldn't want to shoot at the wide-open setting anyway, so that you have enough DOF to get everyone in the group shot.

As for lighting, meter for natural light and fire an OCF with a bit of diffusion for fill. This idea works best from an elevated location, like an upper floor or scaffolding. Speaking of scaffolding, see if the hotel has anything they use for changing lights... could be a motorized scaffold or a large ladder. Either would suit your needs.

do research on the web by looking how others dealt with this situation: for example

http://www.familyoldph​otos.com/3c/1-unknown.htm

http://www.familyoldph​otos.com …ce/1-index-unk-group2.htm


This will at least help you get some ideas of where to start.

Have fun clicking!

A 5D and a 24 - 70L and speedlight, what more do you think you need?

Did a 90+ person shoot for a local KofC chapter in the bleachers of a gym at a local highschool. I had no lighting other than what was there. Fortunately they turned out okay for lighting.

I will suggest to take several bursts of several shot each. I only had to do PS surgery on about 4 heads/faces and had the relative skill to render it unnoticeable. Good luck and post the results!

bobbyz wrote in post #10858447
How is he going to light those 300+ people.

Depending if its inside or out side, it shouldnt be all that hard.

Thanks for the responses everyone! It looks like there isn't a balcony to take advantage, so the group picture will probably need to take place in a large conference room.

It won't happen for a few months, but I'll update this post with the results.

Thanks again,
Mike

mchova wrote in post #10873681
Thanks for the responses everyone! It looks like there isn't a balcony to take advantage, so the group picture will probably need to take place in a large conference room.

It won't happen for a few months, but I'll update this post with the results.

Thanks again,
Mike

Large conference room/ballroom... Likely will not have risers. 300 people will be difficult to shoot flat. May want to check with the venue and see if you can get some artificial height. Someone there should have a really tall ladder, the lightbulbs in the room don't change themselves.