Taking a group photo in Oxford? Sounds easy right?
From cohorts of classmates, to conference attendees and small business team photos, we’ve seen almost all the iterations of group photos Oxford has to offer. So what makes the perfect Oxford group photo?
Location & lighting are the two things which will make or break your group photo.
Do you have enough space for your group and composition? Is the lighting appropriate, for either natural or artificial light? (There are some locations in Oxford where bringing and using lighting is not allowed, or where prior permission must be given)
In a lot of cases groups would like to be photographed outdoors with a recognisable Oxford landmark in the background, be that the Radcliffe Camera or part of an Oxford College or Institution. Each of these present their own challenges depending on the group size, time of day, weather and how the image is to be used.
In almost all group photographs, moving further away and using a longer focal length (zooming in) is preferable. With Oxford landmarks this is not always easy or possible though! The reason we as photographers will often prefer longer focal lengths for group photography is that there will be less distortion. In the case of groups with multiple rows (i.e. increased depth of the subjects) moving further away and zooming in will reduce distortion and depth, whilst moving closer and zooming out will increase distortion and depth.
When considering lighting, on a sunny day shooting into the sun is usually preferable to having your subjects facing direct sun, so long as you have a way to keep the direct sun from causing too much flare and haze. Overcast weather allows for an even exposure so is usually no issue for groups. When having to light a group using flash, the key thing is to position your light as far away as possible to ensure even illumination of the entire group – if your light is too close you risk lighting people at the front far more than people at the back!
Ultimately there is no right or wrong way to take a group photo, especially if you are constrained by both the location and lighting. Sometimes a super wide angle is needed and can still be quite effective.
See if you can spot which group photos are shot nearer the extreme wide-angle and which are more telephoto from the selection below!
