How can wedding photographers speed up formal group photos?
Asked 6/18/2016
3 views
2 answers
0
We photograph weddings and often get long lists of requested family-group combinations. The challenge is organizing 20–40 groupings efficiently without wasting time moving people in and out. Is there a practical way to streamline this process? Would software help, or is there a better workflow for managing formal family portraits on the day?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
23
You are trying to write software to make wrangling drunk people, shooting people of vastly different ages, and people who either have a strong desire or no desire at all to be a part of the pictures at all; easier to do? I want to stop you right there.
Your best options aren't software related. They start with setting expectations with the couple at the initial consultation, reinforcing that with each contact, having a set amount of minimum time in your contract to capture necessary formal shots, and finally by being in charge the day of and knowing how to effectively manage groups of people. Additionally you can bring a second shooter/assistant to help with larger weddings.
Finally, I'd encourage you to stop the practice of asking the couple's for a shot list. Those images rarely sell when it comes down to it, they take a ton of time, and in my opinion are just plain boring to capture. Instead, ask couple's for any shots they consider must haves, for example of the bride and her aunt she hasn't seen in many years. This sets the expectation that those are the must have shots not 60 different family formals.
If you find out that a couple does want each and every formal combination, the best practice I have found is to take the largest group photo first, and start taking away as few people as possible for each successive shot. Don't take small group formals first. Also consider ages, don't make the most eldest join for a shot, get pulled out, and back in a bunch of times.
I could go into more detail but this has already gone far beyond the scope of "software to achieve this". Just understand that technique, preparation, and experience can alliviate most of the issues on this topic.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In practice, software is unlikely to solve this well. Formal wedding groups are less of an algorithm problem than a people-management problem: guests are distracted, emotional, late, or unwilling, and the situation changes constantly.
What helps most is workflow and expectations:
- Set expectations with the couple early about how much time formal portraits require.
- Build a minimum amount of portrait time into the schedule/contract.
- Ask for only the essential formal combinations rather than an exhaustive shot list.
- Have the couple designate someone who knows both families to help gather people.
- Be decisive and direct on the day, and consider a second shooter or assistant for larger weddings.
A list of key groups can be useful as a reference, but trying to optimize every permutation usually adds complexity without saving much time. The fastest approach is usually to keep the list short, organize by immediate family first, and rely on a helper to bring the next people in while you shoot the current group.
So: don’t expect a software package to fix this. A clear schedule, tighter shot planning, and strong group wrangling will do more to minimize portrait time than any automated ordering system.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI10y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
No related questions yet.