Avoid One Big Problem Before Taking Group Photos

One of the most common oversights in group photography is not optimally framing the photo that they want to make an enlargement so their MASTERPIECE can find a place of honor on the wall.

Here’s the paradox…

Have you ever enlarged one of your WOW group images only to realize that you need to cut off a part of one subject, in order to achieve the desired size of the enlargement?

If you’ve ever used a 5 x 7 crop on an image having a 2:3 or 3:4 aspect ratio (which most digital cameras use), you know what I mean.

Photographers often experience this discouraging result without knowing what caused it; thus leaving them doomed to repeat it. Consider this ideal scenario…

It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and your composition is good (i.e., you “framed” the image so that your camera’s viewfinder forms a close crop around all of your subjects).

Everyone is smiling, and the background has been nicely blurred. After downloading the photograph, you realize you just took a masterpiece.

So what do you do (after jumping up and down)? Let’s say the family wants to hang a nice 14 x 11 portrait on their wall. (Refer to these Group Portraits examples since photos are not allowed to be included here.)

If you take a group picture and then superimpose a 14 x 11 (or, whatever the desired enlargement size is) rectangular on it, you can tell how the final 14 x 11 cropped image would look.

Here is the Money-Saver

If at all possible, always use STANDARD print sizes when enlarging, mating, and/or framing an image. Why? Because framing an 11 x 14 photo will cost 25% to 80% less than a non-standard size (11 x 12, for example) will cost.

What To Do BEFORE THE PHOTOGRAPH Is Taken

Compose each shot as though it will turn out to be a masterpiece! So what does that mean? Remember that the final image will probably need to be cropped. Therefore, BEFORE you snap the picture, allow enough non-critical space around your subjects, so if you do need to crop it off, your subjects will remain intact.

How much space is needed? Adding approximately 20% to both the horizontal and vertical sides of your composition should do it. Then, once you decide how big an enlargement you want for your masterpiece, there will be enough excess to achieve your goal without doing a hatchet-job on any of your subjects or spending a fortune on custom framing.

To bring your photographic skill to the next level, here are dozens of Group Portraits tips.