This was extremely helpful Omar. Group shots can be really tough. You addressed so many questions I had, and questions I never thought of. Ideas for follow-up videos: -Fixing lens distortion in post on group photos. You touched on it here, and I’d like to know more in a computer tutorial. Such a relief to know there are some options to fix it in post if you’re forced to shoot at a wide focal length. -Lighting and flash setups for group photos. Thanks again for all you do to help photographers.
Agreed, Omar is such a talented & natural entertainer and comedian that I think some of these shots are better than anyone else could do. Except mayyybe if Jim Carrey took up wedding photography, Omar might have some competition there. 😆
I always hated these group photos, now I know why. I'd been making the mistake of shooting too wide. I saw this video a few hours before a gig this weekend and my group photo is no longer the weakest photo in my shoot. Thanks big O
One tip that you mentioned was getting higher than the group. I did this recently by attaching the camera on top of a 9-foot light stand and triggering it remotely. Worked great! Thanks for sharing your skills in your engaging videos.
This was so helpful, Omar! I’m shooting my mothers wedding photos and I’ve been wondering how to do the group photo, perfect timing lol also I love these “situation” videos, they’re very literal and practical and I think you should do more
Great video! I only clicked because it was you, Omar. These "best focal length" videos are usually kinda pointless. Your tips on when and HOW to use different focal lengths and your posing tips are very helpful. Thanks!
Thanks, I always shoot groups at events & these are the most crucial photos because everyone wants the prints or jpegs. Nice refresher & great phone-jingle dance!!😆
Everytime I watch Your videos it feel like a great meeting with a dear, goofy, but dear friend and than I see Your photos... Dammm You are talented! Those group shoots are amazing!
Perfect! Just what I needed...I'm shooting 35 families this coming weekend at a resort and then one pic of them all together!! I'm now bringing my 85mm 1.4 along with either my 70-200 or 120-300 2.8. Leaving the wide angle at home
Omar is my favorite TH-cam photographer! Fellow jersey wedding photographer here and after second shooting since 2013 and my business on my own in 2018, I s to ll struggle at times to find someone who shows the shoots, the photos and what happens and makes me laugh and learn! Keep going Omar! I ant wait to see what comes next but after trying to learn groups and family photos more I come right here to learn. Cannot wait to for the wedding this weekend to try these
Gosh, once you pointed out about how zoom brings the background closer I remembered that geometry matters! I loved this video, especially the phone ring dance (I do one when my phone rings, too!) Thank you, Omar!
Awesome Mr G. ! Great educational advice on group shots. It's been awhile since anyone really gave usable photography information of actually taking pictures... I am so glad I watched your video and will recommend it to others. As always, keep up the good work and keep'em flying.
Very helpful. A week ago, I was shooting an awards ceremony featuring architects, developers, community groups etc. We were in a 100 year old auditorium seating about 150 people. I used a 50mm to shoot each awardee, but some of them were groups of 8-9 people! Then, I had to shoot all of them on stage (30+) at once. Even with a 16mm, I had to get off the stage to get everyone in - holding the camera over my head to stay level with the stage. I was working that distortion slider a lot in post. Stacking people would have been good, but just not possible. So the photo is 2:1 aspect ratio. Wish I had seen the venue (and this video) before the event.
Thank you for this! Second shooter for my first wedding and it's a big one so I know there will be large groups to photograph. This tip was so helpful!
Thank you for some GREAT tips that I have not heard elsewhere! I plan to try an 85mm for a very special shoot of my 2 grandparents with their 9 great-grandchildren. ❤ Not too big of a group so I'm feeling confident the 85 will be perfect!
Super helpful. Right out of the blue I have been asked to photograph our old friend's wedding next week. I am a very amateur but enthusiastic landscape photographer so I'm clueless! This has pointed me in the right direction....Much appreciated and many thanks. Also made me laugh!
Wide lenses have their place. Like you find yourself with no room to back up and you are already hitting the wall behind you. But if you have the space, of course longer focal length is ideal
thanks a million, i have a high school JRTC photos to take and i was searching for some information on group photos. i have never shot groups larger than 10 people. the information is spot on. thanks.
I am truly grateful I came across your video 😭😭 For some time I’m thinking what is going on and you nailed every single issue on the nose. Your thorough video will allow me to tweak what I have been doing to have better outcomes with my photography. Thank you THANK YOU 🙏🏾 I especially appreciate the note on allowing more space around the people at the end. The many times I have taken group photos with my 35mm and the people on the outside are distorted or blurry has been madness 😅
Haha being in Carajoland to take a picture applies more to Wildlife Photography than to Portraits. That single sentence sold it to me, thanks for the laughs. Awesome video!
This was a good video bc you also had all the examples come in at the right time. I wish you went more in on stacking. I’ve never heard of that before. Great video!
Thanks for sharing your tips on group shots. I would always use the widest lens in my bag, and now I am armed with a wider selection of lens to use and how to use them. Thanks again.
I had to laugh at your "carajo-land 2 blocks away" comment about longer focal lengths. That was hilarious. I was shooting photos for family gathering for New Years Eve recently and I was using a 85mm 1.8 that had me in "carajo-land" for most group photos and immediately identified with your comment 😂
Why didn't I stumble upon this video a couple of weeks ago when I had to take a group shot at work and I was researching the subject? I'm your subscriber fer chrissake! An indoor group shot brings some challenges though since I only had an on-camera flash. I figured that I should be as far as possible but bouncing from the ceiling was limiting the distance I could go away. I also thought about getting a whiteboard behind me as a large bouncing surface. In the end I did just fine with 35mm and a ceiling bounce. The flash cycle speed was the crucial limit as there were balloons flying in the air.
I have been looking for answers to my large group questions for so long. Everyone else thinks a large group is 6 or more people! But I'm doing schools now and was wondering why I don't seem good at taking large groups anymore. It's because I got a new lens...a wide angle lens! I need to go back to how I use to photograph large groups (50mm and higher).
Guys. Beware in these comments. Spam bots have attacked. No one has won anything from me. I’m too cheap.
Oops too bad for you, hope you manage to get rid of it. Wish you all luck with everything 🤗👍
I’ve never won anything so I ignored it.
Buy maybe this is the universe telling you that I should win something
😂😂😂😂
This was extremely helpful Omar. Group shots can be really tough.
You addressed so many questions I had, and questions I never thought of.
Ideas for follow-up videos:
-Fixing lens distortion in post on group photos. You touched on it here, and I’d like to know more in a computer tutorial. Such a relief to know there are some options to fix it in post if you’re forced to shoot at a wide focal length.
-Lighting and flash setups for group photos.
Thanks again for all you do to help photographers.
Great video. Thank you. A lighting follow up would be much appreciated. Your clarity is so helpful.
These are some of the best group photos I've ever seen. Everyone is engaged and shows their character. Amazing.
Thank you!
Agreed, Omar is such a talented & natural entertainer and comedian that I think some of these shots are better than anyone else could do. Except mayyybe if Jim Carrey took up wedding photography, Omar might have some competition there. 😆
I always hated these group photos, now I know why. I'd been making the mistake of shooting too wide. I saw this video a few hours before a gig this weekend and my group photo is no longer the weakest photo in my shoot. Thanks big O
One tip that you mentioned was getting higher than the group. I did this recently by attaching the camera on top of a 9-foot light stand and triggering it remotely. Worked great! Thanks for sharing your skills in your engaging videos.
This was so helpful, Omar! I’m shooting my mothers wedding photos and I’ve been wondering how to do the group photo, perfect timing lol also I love these “situation” videos, they’re very literal and practical and I think you should do more
Outstanding, Omar! By far the best advice and examples on shooting group photos one will find on TH-cam! Thank you so much, Omar!
Great video! I only clicked because it was you, Omar. These "best focal length" videos are usually kinda pointless. Your tips on when and HOW to use different focal lengths and your posing tips are very helpful. Thanks!
Thanks, I always shoot groups at events & these are the most crucial photos because everyone wants the prints or jpegs. Nice refresher & great phone-jingle dance!!😆
TEACH, MY BROTHER! Appreciate your info on best focal length for group portraits! Thanks
That was really useful. I've been doing this kind of shooting since the 70's. It's nice to have a refresher. Thank you
Everytime I watch Your videos it feel like a great meeting with a dear, goofy, but dear friend and than I see Your photos... Dammm You are talented! Those group shoots are amazing!
Great advice Omar! Could perhaps have said more about the apertures you use with those stacked group shots!?
Perfect! Just what I needed...I'm shooting 35 families this coming weekend at a resort and then one pic of them all together!! I'm now bringing my 85mm 1.4 along with either my 70-200 or 120-300 2.8. Leaving the wide angle at home
Omar is my favorite TH-cam photographer! Fellow jersey wedding photographer here and after second shooting since 2013 and my business on my own in 2018, I s to ll struggle at times to find someone who shows the shoots, the photos and what happens and makes me laugh and learn! Keep going Omar! I ant wait to see what comes next but after trying to learn groups and family photos more I come right here to learn. Cannot wait to for the wedding this weekend to try these
Excellent, just found you and following now. I have the opportunity of photographing a large film festival event, so I will be using your advice.
Great video! Could you make another video about how to chose the optimal aperture for groups of different sizes too?
What best with your videos is you always try to come with a photo example from everything you said.
Thank you very much...
Hi Omar, can you do a video on the depth of field and where to focus with large groups as it’s something that I can never seem to get right.
Gosh, once you pointed out about how zoom brings the background closer I remembered that geometry matters! I loved this video, especially the phone ring dance (I do one when my phone rings, too!) Thank you, Omar!
Great tips! I really like how you were sensitive to children and the challenges there!
Super helpful. Thank you. A lot of time people buy cameras to take photos of their family during events then often think wide lens is the way to go.
Great advices, much more valuable than pixel-peeping of the latest lens 👍😊 thx for it
How come nobody ever made a video about this. I’m sure most of us do group photo, and this video is very helpful. Thanks, Omar.
Huh, well this explains why so many school shots involved stacking. Thanks for the tips!
Great vid Omar! Each time I watch I catch something new. This vid is loaded with gems! Thanks 😊
Great. Will share with my large group ;)
I knew all this, still I love to hear you telling me this your way and I actually learn it a better way. Thanks Omar for your positive videos.
Awesome Mr G. ! Great educational advice on group shots. It's been awhile since anyone really gave usable photography information of actually taking pictures...
I am so glad I watched your video and will recommend it to others. As always, keep up the good work and keep'em flying.
Very helpful. A week ago, I was shooting an awards ceremony featuring architects, developers, community groups etc. We were in a 100 year old auditorium seating about 150 people. I used a 50mm to shoot each awardee, but some of them were groups of 8-9 people! Then, I had to shoot all of them on stage (30+) at once. Even with a 16mm, I had to get off the stage to get everyone in - holding the camera over my head to stay level with the stage. I was working that distortion slider a lot in post. Stacking people would have been good, but just not possible. So the photo is 2:1 aspect ratio. Wish I had seen the venue (and this video) before the event.
This was a perfect video for what I needed to know! Very clear with the examples and to the point!
Thanks, Omar! One question though. Are the figures for APC-S or full frame?
The school photo at min 7:07 blew my mind. I learned from this video. Thank you!
Great tutorial, Omar. Different views for different lenses..........thanks for pictures that show the difference.
Your sense of humor is top notch.
Great video, learned some stuff just in time for my group shoot tomorrow. thanks.
Thank you for such great tip Omar! As always; YOU ROCK ! 👍👍
this was the most helpful video i have watched and i have been surfing youtube for hours. Thank you Thank you!!!
Thank you for this! Second shooter for my first wedding and it's a big one so I know there will be large groups to photograph. This tip was so helpful!
You are the consummate professional! Thanks for the helpful advice as always,
Super helpful! Thanks for the tips on the bigger group shots
Brilliant and very relevant. As relevant as Andreas Feininger‘s photoschool that taught me analogue photography as a kid, many, many ages back.
Thank you for some GREAT tips that I have not heard elsewhere! I plan to try an 85mm for a very special shoot of my 2 grandparents with their 9 great-grandchildren. ❤ Not too big of a group so I'm feeling confident the 85 will be perfect!
Thank you do much. This is great advice.
Thanks Omar, these tips will really help me the next time I face a group photo moment. 👍
Thanks, that was super helpful and really interesting!
Omar, you always crack me up, love your humor and your energy😂❤️
These are true professional tips. I appreciate that you shared those! Thank you for the video!
"Scam likely, Virginia Beach" is calling you? lol...
Cool video, thanks for the tips & tricks, very helpful
Such great work and practical, insightful tips from an experienced pro! Thank you!
Great video, very informative
Thank you for the tips and techniques and I straight away subscribed to your channel.
the pic at 5:11 is AWESOME
big up!!
Super helpful. Right out of the blue I have been asked to photograph our old friend's wedding next week. I am a very amateur but enthusiastic landscape photographer so I'm clueless! This has pointed me in the right direction....Much appreciated and many thanks. Also made me laugh!
This is absolutly gold!, thank you Omar!
Really helpful to me, Omar. Thanks
You make me so calm.
Thanks Sir.. It feels good to hear that using wide lenses are just mis conceptions.. Thanks A Lot.
Wide lenses have their place. Like you find yourself with no room to back up and you are already hitting the wall behind you. But if you have the space, of course longer focal length is ideal
thanks a million, i have a high school JRTC photos to take and i was searching for some information on group photos. i have never shot groups larger than 10 people. the information is spot on. thanks.
I am truly grateful I came across your video 😭😭 For some time I’m thinking what is going on and you nailed every single issue on the nose. Your thorough video will allow me to tweak what I have been doing to have better outcomes with my photography. Thank you THANK YOU 🙏🏾 I especially appreciate the note on allowing more space around the people at the end. The many times I have taken group photos with my 35mm and the people on the outside are distorted or blurry has been madness 😅
Haha being in Carajoland to take a picture applies more to Wildlife Photography than to Portraits. That single sentence sold it to me, thanks for the laughs. Awesome video!
Great tips, Omar. Will apply them in my next family photos.
This was a good video bc you also had all the examples come in at the right time. I wish you went more in on stacking. I’ve never heard of that before. Great video!
Very helpful, thank you.
Excellent suggestions for groups… thanks so much.
Really helpful for us beginners! Thanks Omar.
Great video Omar 👍🏻
Excellent
Thanks for sharing your tips on group shots. I would always use the widest lens in my bag, and now I am armed with a wider selection of lens to use and how to use them. Thanks again.
Great tips! Thank you!
Exceptionally practical; thanks!
I had to laugh at your "carajo-land 2 blocks away" comment about longer focal lengths. That was hilarious. I was shooting photos for family gathering for New Years Eve recently and I was using a 85mm 1.8 that had me in "carajo-land" for most group photos and immediately identified with your comment 😂
Thank you Omar. Very helpful.
Really great tips! Thanks for the content!
Thank you, always some good tips for us!
That was a great rundown of group shots.
Thank you!
Great advice but 2 things you did not mention. APSC vs Full Frame and what F-stop for especially the very large groups are you using.
Awesome video! 📷
Great, super helpful info. Thanks a lot for your time.
Super helpful video Omar!
Extremely helpful, Omar! I was planning to but 16-35 for large group photos.
Thanks!
Why didn't I stumble upon this video a couple of weeks ago when I had to take a group shot at work and I was researching the subject? I'm your subscriber fer chrissake!
An indoor group shot brings some challenges though since I only had an on-camera flash. I figured that I should be as far as possible but bouncing from the ceiling was limiting the distance I could go away. I also thought about getting a whiteboard behind me as a large bouncing surface.
In the end I did just fine with 35mm and a ceiling bounce. The flash cycle speed was the crucial limit as there were balloons flying in the air.
Great tips Omar, thanks! 👍
Next week I have to photograph 4 soccer teams at once, so this video was really helpful!
Agh, I needed this advice yesterday! I popped out my 17-28mm for a 75 person group shot and I am not that happy with it.
incredibly helpful! you rock Omar
Good info!
The photo at 5:11 is amazing!
Killer vid Omar _tysm_
Really helpful advice! Thank you so much!
Nice watch ! What was it ? Great helpful vid as well ..
I have been looking for answers to my large group questions for so long. Everyone else thinks a large group is 6 or more people! But I'm doing schools now and was wondering why I don't seem good at taking large groups anymore. It's because I got a new lens...a wide angle lens! I need to go back to how I use to photograph large groups (50mm and higher).
Excellent tips Omar 👍
very informative! Thanks for sharing.
wow thank you, its really a struggle to take super large groups
Thank you Omar 🥁🙌🏽
which means the Tamron 35-150 is the perfect option to cover most situations, in particular outdoors, and a 24-70 for indoors.
Super great video tutorial! I learned a lot. LIked and subbed!
Great tips!!!