Football Team Shoot

[bsmith]

I have been asked to take the team shot for the local boys football club, any advice on line up or good angles other than just a boring straight on shot

Bob

[jinky]

May be too many of them but you could try them in the V formation reservoir dogs style if you can get up a set of ladders for you.
Other thing I saw done was one of those world type shots - look at the boottom of this link in the PS bit;

http://digital-photography-school.co...t-group-photos

You use photoshop and the feature called polar coordinates, distort in the filter selection.
Tutorial here:
http://www.dirkpaessler.com/blog/ind...r-own-planets/
Only seems to be used for these small world type pictures. You have to watch what is at the end of each line and in the foreground etc but ends up football shaped and you could even photoshop in a football in the middle over the grass.

Mind you I think kids often want t emulate their sports heros and adopt the three tiered squatting, bench / chair sitting and standing lines anyway and it saves a lot of time.
Good luck with it Bob.

[flake]

You might also take a look at past photographs, because it might be more important to them to produce an image which follows the style/tradition of whats gone previously. This is especially important if the club does have quite a bit of historical images, there's nothing worse than a set of cohesive images taken over the years, and one where the photographer thought his creative input was more important than the subject, because it stands out like a sore thumb.

You might ask them what they want, and if you have time try a few more original angles and then see which one the client prefers. I've seen nice shots with rugby teams forming a scrum around the camera, or crouching down grouped around the ball.

The trouble is that the three tier shot is a formal type that people expect, and that's usually what you see on the walls of the club house.

[bsmith]

Thank you both very much, great ideas and constructive help. I had intended to take the normal 3 tier setup, but thought it may also be good to give them something a little different for themselves. I love the globe idea with the ball in the middle jinky so may try to give that a go. Flake, thanks for reminding me to keep my feet on the ground , work first, then play if time permits.

Bob

[pavman]

I was asked to take a team photo of my son-in-law's Sunday Team I was due to take the pictures before kick off but the kit man left the kit behind, he had a mad dash to go home and get it, He arrived with minutes to spare to kick off! I had to take the team photos at half time and was very rushed as half time s very short in amateur football! here's my effort:

[heronfisher]

Notify everyone on the team of the date and time that the photo is to be taken several weeks in advance, so arrangements can be made for all team members to be present. Include in this photo the team members, the coaches and other people who help the team, such as the grounds crew. Tell everyone to wear their uniforms for the shoot.
Have your location set up when the team arrives for the photo. If it is in a shady area, you may have to use artificial lighting. If you are using chairs or bleachers, schedule the shoot so that the sun will be behind the photographer and shining on to the faces of the team members.
Line up the team. For teams of 10 to 15, arrange for the teams to stand on two levels. If the team is composed of an even number of players, put the larger group on tope. So with 15 players, 8 would stand on the top row. For teams of more than 15, use three levels. If you have fewer than 9, you may be able to do one row or a semi-circle around the coaches. If you don't have levels, each group can kneel or squat in front of the row behind it. For three rows, the back row can stand, the middle row can kneel or squat, the front row can sit. Arrange it so everyone looks comfortable and you can see every face.
Show the team members how to pose. The team members down the center section can face forward. The team members on the sides can turn slightly towards the center, so that one shoulder is slightly back from the other. If you have team members sitting on the ground, make sure that they are all sitting or posing the same way.
Use a high quality digital camera. Look in your viewfinder to make sure that you can clearly see all faces. You do not want a tall person in front of a shorter one, so rearrange if needed. Check for shadows on and ask that all team members look to one designated spot when it is time to snap the shutter. Come in as close as possible in your viewfinder. You may consider turning the camera to a horizontal photo frame.
Bring in the trophies if this is a celebration photo. Have the photo include the trophy or award. Don't forget to use some of the team equipment as props for the photo as well. If it's a football team, then have a row of football helmets along the bottom row. If it's a soccer team, line those soccer balls in front or have the person in the front center hold a ball. Softball team members can wear their gloves or hold bats on their shoulders.