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Hi, I wasn't quite sure where to post this question, but I'm hoping this forum is OK...
Short story: I'm taking a 500-person photo next week inside a gym, and I'm looking for advice/suggestions.
More details…
I'm taking a VERY large group picture (nearly 500 people) inside an elementary/middle school basketball gym next week. It's a picture of an entire K-8 school. I will have access to a large ladder or a cherry-picker, and I plan to use one of them. With such a large group of kids, there will be minimal time to pose - it's basically going to be "OK, everyone, gather at this end of the gym and look up at the photographer." As you can imagine, I also won't have much time, given the attention span of a group of hundreds of young kids. I'm familiar with the gym (and I can access the location in advance if needed), and I have photographed events there before, but they were all sports events, candids, etc -- nothing like a ~500 person picture!
Some additional background info: I agreed to take this photo as a volunteer (it's a religious school associated with my church). I've taken lots of photos for them in the past (generally candids at events, in classrooms, etc), and they were very pleased with those photos. They don't have sufficient funds to hire a photographer more experienced than me (ie, someone who has experience with 500-person group photos). So, they're likely to be happy with anything better than a basic iPhone snapshot, but I'd like to do the best job I can. I should note that, in the hour leading up to the 500-person photo, I'll be roaming around taking various candid photos, so I'll have minimal time for preparation in the hour leading up to the group photo. I should be able to get as many assistants/helpers as I need (but they'll likely have minimal photography knowledge).
Most of my photography experience is with "people photography" -- generally close-ups and candids of individuals or very small groups (2-10 people) -- usually kids. I'm very comfortable with my gear in natural/ambient light situations, but I rarely use off-camera lighting (partly due to personal preference and needs for "natural" lighting, and partly due to my limited experience with off-camera lighting).
I own plenty of cameras/lenses (5DIII, 70D, A7, several "backup cameras," several L zooms, and large selection of fast primes ranging from 20mm to 135mm). I'm very comfortable using any of my cameras or lenses for this job, but I don't have that same level of comfort with off-camera flash. I own a few 550EX speedlights, but I rarely use them. I've experimented with various off-camera flash (Strobist type stuff), but it's been at least 5 years...
The photo will likely be used on the web, promo/marketing materials, and likely a large (24"x36" ballpark) print to be displayed.
Sorry for all the rambling, but I wanted to give you some background on the photo shoot and my particular strengths and weaknesses. My questions are:
1. Should I even consider using off-camera lighting? I'm open to renting lighting gear if needed (or maaaaybe even purchasing something, and using this as an "excuse" to get back into off-camera lighting work). However, I won't have much time to familiarize myself with the gear prior to the shoot. So, if you recommend off-camera lighting, I'm thinking I'd need something relatively simple and reliable. The ceiling is high (maybe 30-feet?), and most walls are white. I can ask them to adjust the overhead lights however I need, but I don’t know how much control they have.
2. I don’t have a good “feel” for how much space 500 people will take up in a small gym (bleachers are only on one side; I’m pretty sure I’ll be set up at one end behind a raised basketball goal). As I said, there won’t be much time to try to pose nearly 500 young kids, but I can probably provide some input on where to put everyone. Any suggestions or thoughts on composition?
3. Ladder vs cherry picker: The ladder isn’t going to get me very high (my camera would be maybe 10-12 feet off the ground). Should I request the cherry picker to get up higher? Would you shoot this any differently if using a ladder versus a cherry picker?
I really appreciate any advice or suggestions - thanks in advance!
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