Group Pictures
are a MUST for family events.

And PLANNING can save the day.

If you're going to be taking group pictures at a major family event (anniversary party, reunion, retirement, engagement, etc.), it would be wise to follow the advice of Benjamin Franklin, who said: "By failing to prepare, you're preparing to fail."

Some of these events are literally once-in-a-lifetime events. Therefore, do you think spending 30 minutes of planning for the event is unreasonable?

Think of the last time you took group pictures at an event. If you are like 98% of the population, you probably shot photographs of people and poses that just "sort of present themselves."

However, just by taking a few minutes to really think about who is going to be there, the opportunities of the situation, and what tips you need to capture the best group pictures; your photographs will turn out far superior to those taken by most people.

If desired, you can review some tips on POSES. To give you a head start on the types of photos that you might want to take, just consider this partial list of popular group pictures:

• Multi-generational

• All the men in the family

• All the women in the family

• The immediate family of the honored guest(s)

• All the aunts and uncles

• All the cousins

• All the children

• Smaller "family units" (example: mom, dad, their children, grandchildren)

• Non-smiling photographs of "a couple" lovingly gazing at each other

• Maternity portraits

• Baby pictures

• Unplanned child poses

• Black & White photographs (many digital cameras have a B&W setting; if not, editing software can transform a color photo into a B&W)

• Grandparents with... just about everybody (do not forget these group pictures)

• Photographs of family members with props (giving a toast, funny hat, almost anything from a "theme" party)

• Flowers are especially versatile (holding a rose in a hand, in their teeth, holding several around their face, placing a single flower across a sleeping baby, etc.-use your imagination, it's unlimited)

• Basic planning photography tips and tricks

• Tripod

• Flash Photography

• Background

• Photography Lighting

Most camera owners are very intimidated about how to take group photos, and that's understandable.

After all, you need to decide on the best location, find a good background, effectively pose everyone, deal with lighting, the composition, depth of field... the list goes on and on.

Even though these points are true, there is a better way to take group photographs than telling the group to "Move over there and smile." That better way is our No-Sweat Approach to Taking Great Group Photos.

By following the "By-the-Numbers" approach in our book, I can guarantee that your group photos will be AT LEAST TWICE AS GOOD as they have ever been (even if you've never held a camera before).

To find out how we created an approach that is just as effective for an experienced photographer as it is for a beginner, look here for a real eye-opener!

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