4 Tips for Great Group Photos

Over my years of shooting, I have taken many great team pictures that are used proudly on marketing materials and websites. I have also taken my fair share of rushed, unplanned, and awkward group photos that don’t see the light of day.

The best team photos are planned out ahead of time and not just an afterthought at an event or picture day. Here are some tips to make sure your group photos are a success.

1. Plan Ahead—

Some important things to consider when planning your group photos are style, group size and location. Ask these questions in advance to set yourself and your photographer up for success:

  • Do you want people grouped together like a big family, spaced out artistically, or arranged formally?

  • Should everyone be standing or some people sitting?

  • For big groups— is there a staircase or balcony that the photographer can use to make sure everyone is seen in the picture? If not, make sure they have a ladder.

  • Are there smaller groupings that you want to capture at the same time like the marketing team and leadership team? Make a list of all of these groupings in advance so you don’t forget one.

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4. Choose a Simple Background—

The more people in a picture the simpler the background should be. The goal of your group picture is to highlight the people on your team. A simple and clean background will help your group stand out and work for a variety of marketing purposes.

3. Coordinate Outfits—

When possible, it’s a good idea to ask your group to wear coordinated outfits. If one person comes wearing a bright yellow or pink shirt, they will unintentionally become the center of attention in that picture. You can avoid this by creating a simple color palette for people to choose from like blue, black and grey.

You can also use this as an opportunity to highlight your brand colors or ask your team to wear a shirt or jacket with your company logo.

4. Group Photos at Events—

If you are planning to take group pictures at your event, they should always be done before the event starts or at the very beginning. It becomes nearly impossible to wrangle people together once guests have arrived.

You should also have an agreed upon time and location for larger groups so the pictures can be done as quickly as possible. If you need multiple group photos, make sure you provide a list to your photographer in advance and assign someone to help her/him gather those groups efficiently.

I hope these tips help you get more value out of your group pictures! If you are looking for group pictures or event photography in the St. Louis area, please email me at korman.jenn@gmail.com.

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