Advice needed

[JMF]

I was asked to do the pics for five squads of cheerleaders. Ranging from elementary,to middle school age girls. I am comfortable with doing individual and the group shot with each squad. The people in charge would also like a group shot of all the girls together, about 46 total. It would be done in a park, so there is no problems with what is in the background, but that means no bleachers or anything else to sit the girls on. Anyone have any tips or ideas on photographing all 46 at once. I have limited equipment... Nikon D90, an nikkor 18-105, a nikkor 70-300, and a ttl flash. I tried to get them to just do a collage of all the squads, on the bases that you could make out each girl better, but they are set on doing on big group pic.

Thank you

[scoundrel1728]

If nothing else, you can arrange the girls by height in three or four rows, with the first row sitting or kneeling on the ground and the remaining two or three rows with the short ones in front, tall ones in back, and the intermediate ones in the middle. This will work better if the girls in one row look out at the camera from between the two heads on either side for the row in front of them.

[JMF]

Thank you
Have also thought about having them on a little sloping hill that is in the park.

[Sailor Blue]

Of course arranging the girls in rows by height, having some sitting, some kneeling, and some standing will all work, but how about you standing on a ladder? That would add an interesting perspective to the shot and make for a very simple background - grass.

The ladder would give you the ability to shoot the girls facing away from the sun so they aren't squinting. By using a lens shade and aiming the camera down you shouldn't have any lens flare and with grass as the background you won't have to deal with a blown out sky.

[JMF]

Thank you... would have never thought about a ladder.

[nrottley]

Whenever I'm challenged to take a picture of something I haven't done before I find "googling" images very useful - in this case "groups of cheerleaders". This should give you some ideas!

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by nrottley

Whenever I'm challenged to take a picture of something I haven't done before I find "googling" images very useful - in this case "groups of cheerleaders". This should give you some ideas!

Umm.... just make sure 'safe search' is ON before you do your search.

Just sayin