Wedding photography part 06: Family and guest photos

Introduction:

Every year I do the odd "wedding revival shoot". You might think this is because there was simply no photographer present on the wedding day, but that's not always the case! Sometimes the family photos are simply missing! They are a must, they should always be celebrated extensively, you should even suggest them and take the lead. Group shots may not always be one of the wedding photographer's favorite tasks, but they can also be a lot of fun. Not just for you, but for the models in front of the camera, and you can and should contribute to this!

As you can see from some of the shots here, it's not just the photographer behind the camera who has something to laugh about when taking the shots, but also the models in front of the camera, because that's how it should be! We'll give you some tips and tricks on how best to set up your guests in different group sizes, how to make them smile and, of course, a few ideas for more unusual group shots.

Here is the structure of this tutorial:

1. General
2. Animating the guests
3. The right light
4. The right background
5. The group photo
6. Family photos
7. Photos with best man & friends
8. Couple pictures
9. Photobooth
   
   Simultaneous jumping needs to be practiced!
   
   
   
   

1. general

In the middle instead of just there

So far you've been outside the action all day; now that's about to change. Your direct intervention and animation are required for group pictures. You decide and determine where the group photos should take place. It is an advantage if you are not afraid to work with large groups of people, to speak in front of them and to move them according to your wishes.

I would like to mention that, with a few small exceptions, I rarely have problems with this. A wedding is usually a fun event, everyone is happy and relaxed. So it's not difficult to persuade the guests to join in with a bit of nice animation. Nevertheless, there are sometimes stubborn people.

Always be prepared, whether it's a group photo or couple photos of individual guests, that there are also people who don't like having their photo taken at all and try to avoid it as if it were a visit to the dentist. Whether you react with understanding or try to persuade them with a smile is up to the situation.

Of course, if you don't want a photo at all, you won't be forced. But I usually persuade them with: "It's only for the bride and groom, I'm sure they would be delighted to have a photo of you in their wedding album."

In addition to the people who don't want to be photographed at all, there are also those who come up with their own ideas for their pictures and sometimes you have to stop them so that you can photograph other guests on the day. So if they start "posing" like crazy and don't want to stop, then you should simply point out nicely after 3-4 different motifs that you still have to photograph other guests. I usually suggest taking more pictures later in the evening if they can't get enough.





You are in charge!

It will also happen from time to time that the guests want to "discuss" with you. In the meantime, I block this (in a very friendly but firm manner). Discussing means, for example, that you have lined up 100 guests in front of the church for the group photo with the help of the best man. This is the best and most even light for your group picture and that's why you decided to do it this way. Just as you are about to release the shutter and perhaps pick up a few handbags in the front row, someone shouts: "Why don't we take the photo on the stairs, it's much nicer there?"

Everyone has heard it, some may now agree with their opinion. Of course, you can now discuss with the guests why the light is better in their position, that the stairs are half in the shade and don't offer any space for 100 guests, etc.

But as I said, I haven't done that for a long time because it never got me anywhere. It just led to more discussions. I just smile and say, for example: "Because I'm the boss and I want you here."

Of course, this mustn't come across as spiteful or arrogant; combine it with an eye scrunch. As I'll explain later, it's not just the bride and groom who should be happy with you and your work, but also the guests. This includes reliability, politeness and professionalism. So if you argue with the guests, and this is just a small example, then this could also lead to the conclusion that you are unsure about your decisions.

The second factor is time. You have just put a number of people in place. Sometimes it's boiling hot, the sun is burning down on the men's suits and the ladies' shoes are pinching. Sometimes it's freezing cold in winter and everyone just wants to get warm. Nobody likes standing in a large crowd of people just waiting for the photographer to finally have his photos in the box. That's why you need to be in a bit of a hurry and shouldn't let any unnecessary time pass. Therefore, change the lens if necessary before setting up and adjust the camera to the lighting situation!

With smaller numbers of guests, it is easy to position everyone well in the picture. In this case, the bench also helps to ensure that the people in the second row are easily recognizable.

Other photographers

First of all, I would like to say a few words on the subject of "other photographers". At every wedding, guests will be documenting everything that happens around them with cameras and cell phones. As I've written before, I'm totally in favor of this as long as it doesn't get in the way of my work. The group photo is one such moment where it can become an obstacle for you. Imagine the following situation: You are standing in front of the bride and groom with a small group of guests and behind/next to you are 3-4 other people with cameras or cell phones while you are taking your pictures.

Sometimes there are other people standing next to you who want to get rid of a few "sayings". Funny or not, the people in your photo are distracted by all this. They may respond to the sayings with a reply or each person may be looking at a different camera. I usually take about 4-10 pictures per "group set-up". I always quickly check on the camera display whether they are correctly exposed and whether at least half of the pictures show all the people in a nice way, i.e. with smiles on their faces, eyes open and directed at me. It would be annoying if you had to edit your group photo from 10 pictures afterwards.

So when other photographers are standing next to me, I jokingly point out that my camera is the "best and most expensive" of all those around me and that they therefore look the best in these pictures. A "Heyer, do you want to smile into the cheap cell phone next to me or into a real camera?"; "Mine makes you look 10 years younger. It has the anti-ageing function!" can help twice over. Not only do you have the attention of all the guests, but usually a smile too.

Of course, I immediately suggest that everyone looks at me first and then I take a step to the side so that the others can take their photos too. It's polite and only takes a few minutes. My main concern is always to be as nice and friendly as possible and of course never to come across as angry or arrogant with my comments.

Here you can see that closed eyes on one person "ruin" the whole picture - don't make the task even harder because there are other photographers and spectators behind you to distract you.





To-do list for group photos

As I wrote in the preparation tutorial, the couple often sends me a list of what they want for their group/family photos before the wedding. This has the advantage that they don't have to deal with it on the day itself and nothing is forgotten. So I have my list to hand, which can look like this:

- Bride and groom and bride's parents (together and individually)

- Bride and groom and best man

- Bride and groom and siblings

- Bride and groom and grandparents

- Bride and groom and entire family

- Bride and groom and godparents

- Groom and work colleagues

- Bride with friends

- Groom with bachelors

- etc.

Perhaps the bride and groom would also like to have a photo with each guest couple individually. Of course, you can also include a photo with the registrar or priest; it is often forgotten, but will find a place of honor in the wedding album as a memento. These more special requests are usually preceded by the complete group photo.

Once I have that in the box, I follow up with: "Now it's time for the individual group photos, for which I ask everyone to move to the side, except for ..." You can involve the groomsmen to help you round up the family members or call all the bachelors. After all, you don't always know all the guests and who they belong to. You'll usually need some help with this. However, the bride and groom will be happy if the work is taken off their hands and you take over the management of the pictures.

Here we have an unfavorable combination: cramped background with a parking lot, lots of guests, and it was incredibly cold! The schedule was tight, so this group picture was taken "on the fly"





Group photos - finding the right time

You should also address the topic of "the right time for group pictures" in the preliminary talk when discussing the exact schedule with the couple. There are many variations on how the group photos can be divided up and you shouldn't underestimate the time required for this in the schedule.

I like to take the "big" group picture directly at the registry office/church. Either after the congratulations, in good time before some of you leave for the location, or before the champagne reception, if this takes place directly there. It would be awkward if you ask them to put the glasses away again just after the toast. This will not necessarily make you the first friends.

Of course, if the background of the registry office/church is not so nice, you can postpone the group photo to the next location if you are still scheduled to be there. But please consider the following case: It could be, for example, that some friends are not invited to the party but wanted to watch the wedding ceremony. Perhaps the bride and groom would be disappointed not to see them in a souvenir photo. It is therefore not unusual to take a group photo twice. If both the registry office/church and the later location form a great backdrop, I would even recommend this.

Here are a few common constellations of how the group photos are often taken at my weddings (in consultation with the bridal couple). They are of course tailored to the respective wedding schedule, and if your couple needs help here, you can already shine with these suggestions:

- All group and family photos are taken at the registry office/church. If the time window here is large enough and the backdrop is beautiful, this is the right choice for getting everything done in one go. Another plus point: if you've only been "booked" for a few hours at the wedding, you'll have completed the mandatory program in any case. The duration of this depends on the number of guests and the desired motifs and varies between 10 minutes and half an hour.

- Group photo at the registry office/church, remaining photos at the later location. If there is not much time after the ceremony or the next bridal couple and their party are already arriving, this is a good choice. However, you should know in advance how photogenic the following location is. If the celebration is taking place in the family's living room and you don't have a garden at your disposal, I don't necessarily see this as an option.

- Colorful mix: Of course, you are very flexible when it comes to group photos. In the case of long escorts with a very tight schedule and many photo requests from the couple, I often suggest a colorful mix. For example, the group photo could be taken at the registry office/church, the family photos could be taken at some point at the location in a suitable time slot (which does not necessarily have to be predetermined, but can be incorporated spontaneously) and individual couple photos or bridal photos with each guest couple could be taken later in the evening, perhaps even after dinner. This also has the advantage that it never gets boring if there is not much to document, then you can suggest one of the points mentioned and you are busy. This can sometimes happen with long escorts.

Here we used the golf course at the location for the family pictures! The family classic!





Another point to consider when choosing the right time: it's always best if all the guests are available and it's as easy as possible for you to set them up quickly. So if everyone has just arrived at the location and is increasingly looking for the toilet, you shouldn't start with the group photo. It would take too long for everyone to arrive and the guests could become impatient.

It's also not a good idea to take the group photo too late, when the first people are already whirling around on the dance floor! You should have the guests as fresh and neat as possible in your group photo! Bear in mind that coffee and cake as well as a champagne reception will take a little time to finish - you don't want to snatch someone's plate with a piece of cake in their mouth. In winter, you also have the jacket problem. The guests will hate having to jump back into their jackets when they are warming up at the venue after the ceremony. You'll quickly know when the right time has come, so don't worry! So you can also check this box relatively quickly.

Everything in view

In addition to the set-up, it's important that you also pay attention to the little things. In a picture with 120 guests, no one will notice if a man in the fourth row has his tie askew, but with smaller groups it will matter! And it's your job to notice! Pay attention to EVERYTHING! This doesn't just apply to group photos, but to every staged picture, whether it's one person or twenty. Check for dents in the men's trouser pockets from purses or cell phones, the correct fit of ties, jackets and glasses.

For every picture, I ask the ladies to put down their handbags, at least those in the front row. If necessary, I quickly collect them. "Money and handbags to me." In mild temperatures, I also ask smaller groups to take off their jackets briefly. That's up to your taste.

A small consolation: while I'm putting together the pictures for this tutorial section, I realize that I'm constantly missing things that I should have seen. Over time, you will perfect this and hopefully you won't miss a single detail.

I also have a few things to criticize here; the biggest annoyance is the shadow on the best man's face from his own hand. Furthermore, the groom stands too stiffly for me. An open jacket and his hand in his trouser pocket would certainly have been nicer.





Adopt a posture!

You will quickly develop a feeling for the right positioning. This is not so important for larger groups, but the smaller the groups, the more important it is. It's not wrong to adopt a little posture. I try to stand up straight, "fall" a little towards the camera and not backwards and avoid arms hanging limply.

Here you can see an example of the hand position. You can't tell each individual person how to "pose" for every photo. The smaller the groups get, the more opportunity you have to do this!





Let's get that out of the way before we look at the next points in detail!

2. animation of the guests

You have to keep one thing in mind: Every guest could be a customer tomorrow. Every guest may have an engaged couple in their circle of friends and will be happy to recommend you if you do your job well. It's no secret that as a photographer you can not only have regular clients (after the wedding the baby bump can follow ...), but that you live from recommendations. In the beginning, my clients mainly came to us via our website.

Today, they usually say on the phone: "You accompanied XY's wedding and that's why I wanted to enquire about our wedding ceremony." Or "The maid of honor from wedding XY recommended you to us."

Meanwhile, many couples come to us via wedding fairs and recommendations, with our website making up the smallest part.

With this in mind, if you want to accompany weddings more often, you should always be friendly, patient and courteous, no matter how you are doing. Always have a smile for the bride and groom and guests, try to take them with you and infect them with your good mood! Unfortunately, you don't always have a good day, maybe something has gone wrong in your private life, you're plagued by a headache or you twisted your back the day before. You would prefer to spend the day in bed, but this wedding has been on your calendar for months. It's not like this has never happened to me before.

We're all only human and we're not always in a good mood and good health every day. Last year I survived a wedding with a lot of painkillers because I had really hurt myself the day before. But if you enjoy wedding photography as much as I do, then after 15 minutes you've actually forgotten everything that's bothering you privately or health-wise. You are so quickly involved in the wedding and hopefully get so emotionally involved in everything around you that you forget about other things.

As I described at the beginning of the tutorial: Your job is to animate the guests a little for the group photos, if necessary a little persuasion is also needed. You may be nervous and excited at first, especially when you're dealing with large groups. But this will subside over time and you will become more confident and open to an audience with every wedding. You may soon find that you can't get enough of entertaining large groups!

It's easier with small groups!





It's difficult to describe in words how I "animate" a group to smile and actively participate in the perfect group photo. It certainly depends on the number of people and the weather conditions. If it's over 30 degrees or below freezing, it will of course be a little more difficult for you. Whether you have four people in front of the camera or 150 guests, once you've positioned them perfectly, you'll have to do more than just press the shutter button on your camera.

Everyone will be chatting and busy with each other, so I first get everyone's attention. You may have to whistle or clap vigorously. "Listen up everyone! The quicker you're quiet, the sooner there'll be cake." - First I'll make a test recording! "Now I'll see if you all fit into the picture and look good. Relax your faces, you don't have to smile yet."

Even if the camera settings have already been tested, I usually have to take 1-2 test shots and adjust them again. This takes just a few seconds. Then it starts. "So, my dears, now I want to see your best smiles. Make an effort." - "Who's going to tell us a dirty joke now?" - "Who can smile more than the bride and groom?" - "If you don't laugh properly, you'll be put in the front row as punishment." In winter, something like: "Well, I've got a thick jacket on and a lot of time ... If you don't laugh, this could take a very long time." - "Well, if you don't smile now, you won't be allowed into the warmth!"

These are just a few ideas, they may seem strange to you now. Everyone will develop their own ideas after a few weddings, but I have always done well with such animations at my weddings. With smaller groups, you will certainly animate more personally and concentrate more on the individual people than is possible with larger numbers of guests.

You will quickly realize that many people like to stand in front of the camera and strike poses on their own, which you won't have much to complain about! Enjoy that, it's not always a given.

3. the right light

Before we even get started, we think about the light before every group photo. I don't want to place the people in the full summer sun at 1 p.m., nor do I want to have to juggle shadows and sunlight at the same time. Given the size of my group, I therefore look for a place that offers even lighting conditions. But that's my taste; you should try it out with friends to see how different lighting conditions can affect your group photo. Every photographer will have their own approach here. Here are a few examples from my practice:

- High midday sun: Now it's time to move into the shade. I look for a large shadow area without large patches of light: This prevents people who are not in the shade from shining out of the crowd. If we were to place our group directly in the sun, we would not only have mostly watery and closed eyes, but also hard shadows on our faces, flash or no flash. You can also use the flash to help out a little in the shade and brighten things up slightly. Perhaps you have a white façade that you can use as a reflector for your flash.

- Sun in the morning/afternoon: It can be sunny now, but backlit please. Nobody has to squint into the sun. No guest will like that. I use the flash to brighten things up a little. Make sure everyone is evenly lit. Backlighting: Watch out, you have to be a little careful with glare spots here. Pay attention to any reflections directly when taking the photo and check this again on the camera display after taking the photo. I would choose a very low ISO here, perhaps an ISO 100. The aperture should be as small as possible without losing sight of the exposure time, perhaps a value from f/16. In winter or late in the afternoon/early in the evening, it can of course also be a group picture in the sun! But please bear in mind that everyone has different eye sensitivities and just because you don't have a problem with the sun's Blender doesn't mean your models will. Over time, you'll get a feel for what works and what you shouldn't expose your guests to.

- Light/heavily overcast sky: Your natural diffuser is here! You won't have so many problems with the right lighting now, but you may have to use a little more flash if the clouds are too heavy. If there is very little light, make sure that the background is not too dark. Then your picture won't look so cool and the people won't stand out so clearly. This looks very unnatural and unattractive to my taste.

- Indoors: When photographing indoors, I look for light sources that conjure up some life in my pictures. If it is still daytime, I use existing windows either as a backlight source or in the back and let the people shine naturally brightened. Later in the evening or in dark rooms, you have to use other light sources or make the best possible use of existing light. Look for interesting backgrounds and light sources. Choose the longest possible exposure time (1/10 is fine to try!) and a high ISO (approx. 1600). Otherwise your subjects will be illuminated by the flash and there will be a black void behind them. The same applies to outdoor shots in the late evening.

Wonderful sunshine at midday.

Here we had to live with the background that was available at the location. My hard-working models did their best to distract us from it. It was a winter afternoon with little light and a very cloudy sky.

These shots were actually planned for the summer afternoon, but the time slot for the wedding was too tight. So we had to take the pictures outside in the late evening. If the background doesn't provide any light, the result is usually unattractive shots with harsh contrasts.

This location had wonderful light for the background atmosphere!





It goes without saying that you also need to pay a little attention to the background. You can't always just go by the light, you have to find the perfect combination of light and background. And in the next section, we'll look at what your background should be like.

4. the right background

The next important factor for the perfect group picture. In most cases, the location, such as the registry office or church, will determine your background. After all, it's particularly nice if the souvenir photo directly shows where you got married or celebrated. For family photos or group photos with a smaller number of people, you can also be more creative; anything goes here, depending on the couple's wishes.

I would always choose a background that is as light and friendly as possible. In the case of unattractive backgrounds that cannot be avoided, use the right perspective or blur to your advantage. Sometimes I even lie down on the floor if I can get rid of something disturbing in the background.

On the subject of lying on the floor (and I admit, I like to do this very often ... not necessarily before the ceremony, because all the guests should have seen that you have arrived "clean"). Everyone will appreciate this physical effort, but without background information, not everyone will understand if you wear dirty pants to a wedding. Therefore, always say beforehand: "You are all my witnesses that I arrived here clean".

I like the low perspective for group photos and couple photos, but I also make exceptions if it's really dirty or wet! I'm hardened by my work as an animal photographer and I'll throw myself into the biggest puddles of water for four-legged models, but I don't necessarily have to do that for my two-legged models. All efforts held in honor, that would be too much of a good thing and the classic case of over-motivation.

5. the group photo

I have already described how you can animate the guests for the group photo and what you should pay attention to. Once you've chosen the background and light, you set up the people. This depends on the size of the group. If you have a group of 20 people, you naturally have more leeway than if you have a larger group. Make sure that everyone is clearly visible and no one is hiding. I prefer to go a little wider and have fewer rows. Otherwise you won't stand a chance and the motto "Little ones to the front please" won't help you much either.

I now have a wide-angle lens at my disposal, but I also like to choose longer focal lengths for smaller groups. Depending on the distance, focal length and group size, choose an appropriate aperture so that all guests come into focus. Blender f/8 or higher will cover you in most cases. I like to quickly zoom into the test image and check the sharpness in the rows again. I place the focus in the middle of the group when taking the picture.





I make sure that the closest family and witnesses are close to the bride and groom, while friends and acquaintances can be a little further away. The bride and groom don't necessarily have to be in the middle, you can be creative here. They can also stand/sit in the front of the group or to the side. You have a little more leeway here with small groups. Ask for help with large groups so that you don't have to shout yourselves hoarse.

Go around the guests and ask for a group photo, but the groomsmen should be able to help you "round up" the guests. They are happy to do this! Don't be afraid to ask them. I also like to take group photos of younger couples with the fisheye. This should be discussed beforehand and is of course only an alternative to the normal group photo! I make sure that nobody gets into the edges and that the strong distortions on the side only affect the building/background.

If possible, use stairs or even photograph your group from "above" so that everyone is clearly visible. Here, of course, you are always bound by the circumstances.

I also like to take a cheering photo at the end of a "normal" group photo, but make sure that nobody holds their hand in front of the person next to them, even if they don't like them ...

Unfortunately, faces are sometimes lost in the "cheering" photo due to the raised hands. It's better to do this with smaller groups or take photos from higher up.

6. family photos

For the family photos, stick to the to-do list or - if this is not available - quickly ask the couple who you can ask to join you. I often design the family photos in a very classic style because that's often what the couples want. You can't ask the 80-year-old grandma to jump around in the picture, I think that's logical. In my experience, older people are a bit harder to motivate and are sometimes a bit "stiffer". Please bear in mind that many of them can't stand for that long and sometimes you might even want to position them at a bench with the bride and groom. This is much easier for them and makes it easier to smile. So, it can also be classic here! Not a must, but an acceptable alternative.

Otherwise, I make sure that the groom doesn't have two ladies in his "arms" at the same time. This often happens when the bride and mother are standing next to him. Most men naturally don't want to give preference to one and will automatically put their arm around both women. Personally, I find this unattractive as he is now sticking out his chest and his probably buttoned-up jacket is under tension. Allow him to concentrate on the bride alone, and his mom can put her hand on his arm so that she doesn't have to stand there looking so lost. Speaking of the jacket: I would make it uniform, either all jackets open or closed.

The groom can turn his full attention to the bride! We just need to practise the smile.

The classic picture for the family album! The proud bride's parents.

7. photos with best man & friends

Now your creativity is in demand! Because after the classic family photos, it's time to get a little more lively. I usually accompany quite young couples on their way to happiness. More and more people are now expressing the wish that things shouldn't be too stiff and classic. Best men and friends will love you if you shine with lots of ideas where they can also get up to mischief.

I'm always amazed that so many couples and guests now approach me with their own ideas, which I'm only too happy to implement. Sometimes I even include the one or other motif in my reports. If you present and describe your ideas to the groups as vividly as possible, I have rarely experienced any contradiction. Good acting skills on the part of your models are of course an advantage. I have brought you a few pictures from my wedding reportage of Anna and Richard.

The two of them are simply pure photographic talents and were able to perfectly realize everything I suggested to them. You can see from the pictures that not everyone was like this. It was incredibly cold that day, but the fun factor was huge. Unfortunately, we only had a very dark backdrop and the winter afternoon was already very gloomy. Nevertheless, there should be a few ideas that your guests might also like.

A snapshot of Anna and her bridesmaids.

An act of good acting. My shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatz!

This idea came from one of the wedding guests. Look what the groom has there!

The classic, but rarely are there bridesmaids and so many beautiful bouquets. By the way, Anna made the pretty bouquets from fir branches herself.

Show me your little legs.

Make me the bunny!

Apart from the background, a nice motif if you let the men approach you!

As soon as things get "moving", your models will be much more relaxed in front of the camera. Even if someone is occasionally hidden or "caught" in an unfavorable position, I personally like these shots best.

This was the groom's desired pose!

And again on the golf course. When posing "freely", funny things can also happen. Here I have to smile about the groom!

8. couple pictures

After many conversations with guests who expressed a wish to me, at some point I started to include this in my consultations with the bride and groom. Because I often heard: "We are so Schick and are photographed at every wedding, but never get a photo of ourselves."

Hence the suggestion: In addition to the usual guest snapshots, where each guest should also be seen once, each couple is asked to take a photo once. This photo can later be printed in small format and included in the thank you cards. I think it's a great idea and it's quick to do. However, if you have 80-120 guests, you should allow a time slot of approx. 1 hour for this and ask the couple in advance to hand over a guest list to the best man so that they can collect the people for you. Feel free to use something specific to set the scene for the couple, such as a beach chair, a bench or the classic picture frame.

Just let your soul dangle!

9. photobooth

We have started to include the "Photobooth" project, which is becoming increasingly popular, in our range of services. Considering the expensive technology involved and the time factor, you'll have to think carefully about whether you want to do the same as us. I think the concept should be well considered and with the bargain prices on the market today that many photographers are offering this at, it's hardly a worthwhile consideration.

Many couples want to give their guests the opportunity to photograph themselves with fun accessories on the night. I've seen my own modified creations which, in my opinion, didn't detract from the guests' enjoyment in any way compared to the expensive photobooth studio of a photographer. Fun accessories were provided by the bride and groom for a few euros, a suitable room with a neutral wall was found and the maid of honor with an instant camera went full throttle.

I watched attentively and occasionally took photos over her shoulder. Honestly, I have to say there was no difference at all. The fun factor was huge for the guests and the cost was very manageable for the bride and groom. The quality of the photos didn't matter to anyone. Maybe you should make this suggestion to interested couples if they ask you about the photobooth and you don't want to offer it.

Here are a few more disadvantages of the photobooth:

- Transportation is costly and it takes time to set up and take down.

- Expensive additional equipment is required, possibly a second camera and lens if you need to take photos at the same time. Self-timer, tripods, studio flashes or clip-on flashes as well as fun accessories etc. are also required.

- An assistant may be required, who will certainly want some pocket money.

- Equipment may be required for immediate viewing of the photos and the possibility of printing the photos on site.

- Protection against damage to equipment: You should take out a contract that covers your equipment. Especially if you are making it available to the guests on your own and there is no assistant on site to look after it. Later in the evening, the guests may be inebriated and someone may knock over a tripod. That gets expensive!

- Considering the time involved and the usual prices, it's not a profitable business, especially if you offer it with lots of technical elements.

Unfortunately, we only had a white wall for the background of our photobooth.





We currently offer the photobooth with restrictions and have rarely used it so far. We only work with a tripod flash and never leave the guests unattended with the equipment, which saves us a contract. We either have an assistant with us who takes the photos or provides assistance while the guests take their own photos using the self-timer. The photos can only be viewed on the camera and we don't print the photos on site, but give them to the couple later on the photo CD.






I hope that this tutorial has given you a few suggestions and ideas for your group photos and that you enjoyed reading it. I am open to both positive and negative criticism on this part and hope you enjoy the other parts of this series, which will follow soon. Thank you for your trust and encouragement.

Nicole Schick