The comeback?

[faberryman]

The variables in group shots exceed the number of people. You have to have command of your environment, you have to have command of your group, you have to have command of all the people were standing around trying to take pictures. Success comes in the way that you manage this. With a sense of humor you can turn to all the people around you and let them know what it is that you need to do. I often suggest that I will set up the shot for them, take my shot and then they can come in to take all the shots they want.

And then, of course, you have to have control of the group. This is a matter of expressing a sense of grace and command at the same time, to enjoin the group in your effort. You have to be able to find the people that are going to lack focus and get right next to them and communicate to them directly. That takes charm and grace. That done you have to be fast and you have to create sustained and focused direction, to get attention For just a few moments.

It is important to move right along. All of this requires that you are in fact in charge. People will know if you are in charge. You don't have to tell them that; you must simply have the demeanor

Sounds like a better approach than swapping heads in Photoshop.

 

[Berkeley Mike]

And then there is blinking....Pshop.

 

[Helinophoto]

The variables in group shots exceed the number of people. You have to have command of your environment, you have to have command of your group, you have to have command of all the people were standing around trying to take pictures. Success comes in the way that you manage this. With a sense of humor you can turn to all the people around you and let them know what it is that you need to do. I often suggest that I will set up the shot for them, take my shot and then they can come in to take all the shots they want.

And then, of course, you have to have control of the group. This is a matter of expressing a sense of grace and command at the same time, to enjoin the group in your effort. You have to be able to find the people that are going to lack focus and get right next to them and communicate to them directly. That takes charm and grace. That done you have to be fast and you have to create sustained and focused direction, to get attention For just a few moments.

It is important to move right along. All of this requires that you are in fact in charge. People will know if you are in charge. You don't have to tell them that; you must simply have the demeanor.

I suppose I do most of it, but I don't have the demeanor, I suppose that kind of operation is not for me. I know the light, the gear, how to pose people and have very good control over a group on it's own, but with all the other disturbances......neeeu......not for me.

I suppose I'm not drilled in getting that annoying mom to let go of her pretty little princess bridesmaid, and the other kids, so I can set up the shot and then get her and 15 other people to shut the hell up while I'm trying to get the group to look my way )

That is also probably why I normally never do such gigs at all, but did an exception (and as a gift) for my brother.

Shots turned out very well, so it's fine, but yeah, heads and eyes needed work on most of them, takes me two minutes, so no biggy at all.

If we only had film, I suppose I would get them a gift-card and get proper drunk around 23:00 instead )))

 

[ann]

Well my darkroom summer class for teenagers has been full for years as well as my adults classes which is usually full with several new students each session.

 

[benjiboy]

Its great that so many professional photographers sell off there old obsolete equipment for a fraction of what they originally cost.
I just never got into digital. I bought a cd player and a few cd's but only used them when my record player broke, ten years later I fixed the record player and now I have 3 and no cd player. Film is a bit the same, bought a digital camera, but hardly used it, dusted the old nikon fg20 off after sitting in the cupboard for ten years and cant stop taking pictures. Digital is predictable and boring.[

Its great that so many professional photographers sell off there old obsolete equipment for a fraction of what they originally cost.
I just never got into digital. I bought a cd player and a few cd's but only used them when my record player broke, ten years later I fixed the record player and now I have 3 and no cd player. Film is a bit the same, bought a digital camera, but hardly used it, dusted the old nikon fg20 off after sitting in the cupboard for ten years and cant stop taking pictures. Digital is predictable and boring.

Cd players are old hat these days people subscribe to streaming services and stream music, or download it with their computers and play it through their Hi-Fi systems, most of the leading Hi-Fi manufacturers don't make c.d. players any more.

 

[jtk]

Cd players are old hat these days people subscribe to streaming services and stream music, or download it with their computers and play it through their Hi-Fi systems, most of the leading Hi-Fi manufacturers don't make c.d. players any more.

The trend is catheters.

 

[awty]

Cd players are old hat these days people subscribe to streaming services and stream music, or download it with their computers and play it through their Hi-Fi systems, most of the leading Hi-Fi manufacturers don't make c.d. players any more.

I use Spotify in the darkroom/car/office etc., back ground music, but the quality is not the same. Bit like comparing a quality print from multiple machine made 6x4's from a print shop, you may not know a difference until you hold them together.

 

[jtk]

but you see eddie,
the only people who will say this sort of thing
are folks who don't use minute things as wedge issues
to drove people apart .. in the end the only people who care about
this nonsense are people who insist it is important and try to get people over to
their "tribe" ... but i guess it must matters to some so what do i know ...
it was recently suggested i use film because it is "charming" ...

i am just hoping when the 36,000 people where i live buy rolls of the new "come back kid"
they figure out where to process it since no one for 60+ miles in any direction runs an E6lab

Great points.

I remember the manual, nitrogen burst Arkay stainless steel tank that kept one man in San Francisco busy with E3 for a bunch of old pros until a year after E6 film finally got good enough to replace E4 .

 

[blockend]

most of the leading Hi-Fi manufacturers don't make c.d. players any more.

My Hi-fi consists of an amplifier, a cassette deck, an analogue AM/FM tuner and a CD player. The record deck needs replacing. Each part is objectively inferior to modern alternatives, but provide me with a warm fuzzy glow. A bit like film.

 

[fdonadio]

How did people do mass-group photos before?

They just took the photo. If someone lookw goofy, it was because they were goofy looking.

I was a kid in the 80’s and an adolescent in the 90’s. I do remember well when my mother started calling everyone to “take the photo” at family parties. All the relatives — except for the ocasional bored adolescent (me) — would be excited, get together, smile for the camera and get back to the beer and food right after. People knew they would see that picture someday and remember that moment. That photo was important back there.

Now everyone wants to have their own photo and put it on Facebook as soon as they take it. The photo doesn’t matter anymore, it’s just likes and comments.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Comeback? I never left it.

 

[MattKing]

I've done a few group photos in my time - wedding work does that for you.
My most memorable experience though was a group photograph of just about all the attendees at a retirement party for an experienced and very popular courtroom lawyer - a Queens Counsel and a former bencher at that.
The group included Justices of the Court of Appeal, Justices of the Supreme Court of BC, other Queens Counsel and all sorts of other counsel as well.
All people who love to control things!
And this was well into the event - and there was an open bar!
It took all of my courtroom advocacy skills to manage that crowd!
The results were satisfactory, but sadly I didn't keep those negatives so I can't share them here .

 

[jtk]

For that you want an impressive 4x5 on a serious tripods with just a few film holders. That even works with bird flipping teens.

 

[foc]

I've done a few group photos in my time - wedding work does that for you.
My most memorable experience though was a group photograph of just about all the attendees at a retirement party for an experienced and very popular courtroom lawyer - a Queens Counsel and a former bencher at that.
The group included Justices of the Court of Appeal, Justices of the Supreme Court of BC, other Queens Counsel and all sorts of other counsel as well.
All people who love to control things!
And this was well into the event - and there was an open bar!
It took all of my courtroom advocacy skills to manage that crowd!
The results were satisfactory, but sadly I didn't keep those negatives so I can't share them here .

Great story Matt and you hit the nail on the head with " All people who love to control things! "

 

[Berkeley Mike]

I've worked with Money-types, Investment Bankers and such, who think a lot of themselves as movers and shakers; you have to in that business. Key to succeeding with them is understanding that they want to know that you are at least as talented as they are and are flattered if you are perhaps even more so.

 

[jtk]

It's sad that many event photographers dress like they don't give a damn. They deserve disrespect and failure.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Kerrisdale Cameras?

Yes. Schools in my district that have real photography courses have an account with them. I really like the staff there now, as they are more receptive to us film guys.

 

[markjwyatt]

My Hi-fi consists of an amplifier, a cassette deck, an analogue AM/FM tuner and a CD player. The record deck needs replacing. Each part is objectively inferior to modern alternatives, but provide me with a warm fuzzy glow. A bit like film.

I am not sure that film is "inferior" (objectively or subjectively) to the "modern alternative" (digital). Different in some respects, perhaps, yes, but not inferior. I do recognize some of the benefits of digital, but film still produces high quality output.

 

[RPC]

I am not sure that film is "inferior" (objectively or subjectively) to the "modern alternative" (digital). Different in some respects, perhaps, yes, but not inferior. I do recognize some of the benefits of digital, but film still produces high quality output.

I agree completely.

 

[bascom49]

Was in a small camera store in a mall near me to buy fixer. First time in there since 2008. Back then they reduced their film stock a few rolls of HP5, FP4, TMY, in 35 and 120. One piddly little shelf behind the counter. If I wanted fixer, they had to order it in. I even had a bit of an argument with the manager who told me I'm wasting my time shooting film and that I should buy a dslr. Well he's gone, thankfully. The current manager is pro film. They now have a pretty healthy selection of Ilford, Kodak, Bergger, and other films, as well as paper, and chemicals... and a cabinet of used film gear.

What is a 'mall' ?

 

[markjwyatt]

What is a 'mall' ?

It is sort of like hell, just more commercial.

 

[fdonadio]

What is a 'mall' ?

It’s what we call a “shopping center” here in Brazil (yes, we say it in English, go figure!), but in the USA. I am not sure how they call it in the UK.

It’s really sorta like hell, especially on weekends.

 

[warden]

It's sad that many event photographers dress like they don't give a damn. They deserve disrespect and failure.

No they don't. If the work is outstanding I'd be inclined to hire a photographer that dresses as he/she sees fit, within reason of course.

 

[MattKing]

Kerrisdale Cameras actually has several different branches in several local malls.
It is nice to have at least one interesting store to visit when circumstances require a mall visit.

 

[blockend]

I am not sure that film is "inferior" (objectively or subjectively) to the "modern alternative" (digital). Different in some respects, perhaps, yes, but not inferior. I do recognize some of the benefits of digital, but film still produces high quality output.

It depends what you want from a photograph, but most people would agree that a modern full frame camera has higher resolving power than an equivalent 35mm one. That's what I meant by objective.