Would you give your customers such photo?

[shahrulesa]

We had a South East Asia Company conference and the event organizer hired a group of photographers to take pictures of the three days event.

We also took a group photo and the print out we received looked like this (i scan it at 75dpi)

Is it me or am I to demanding to find the picture totally unacceptable. So far everybody on my team is complaining about the pic. The photog used a song alpha I think but the fact is even any PnS could take good photo in that morning light. Also, there were at least three of them taking at least a total of 30 photos and this is what we got.

Any feedback is appreciated, is it me or is this supposed to be some sort of digital art that I failed to see?

Thank you

 

[ortega]

i don't think any P&S could have done better

but it could have been better, best is not to place the subjects in such light where some are in direct sunlight and some are in the shadows
did the photographer select the location for the group photo?

 

[JillValentine]

Can you tell me what exactly is wrong with the photo? sharpness? colour? composition? grainy quality? or what? :embrass:

 

[Brett]

You'd need strobe lights and/or a reflector (damm big one) to get a nicer shot. This kinda ad hoc event shoots normally turn out this way.

If you had informed him earlier abt wanting a group shoot he might have shot it at a different time of the day looks like noon to me lighting is most suitable for a rock band!

I'd like to think I am a pretty decent photog but given constraints I don't think I can do much better = (

 

[third3rdwheel]

I think it could be better but I don't think it is totally unacceptable......

 

[catchlights]

a group photo taken under direct sunlight, this is what you get, whether you use a 8x10 camera, digital medium format, Sony Alpha or PnS.

camera has nothing to do with the lighting effects..

a photographer is suppose to look out for quality lighting to take group photos, be it using artificial lights or natural lights.

however, for group photos is not an easy task, it need to take a lot of time and efforts for preparation, most of the time is depends on how important the group photos, is everyone willing to take the trouble to do it nicely.

for this instant, is this location being selected because of the nicer background? and at this timing is because the only time to do the group photo?
is it possible to move a shelter place? or shoot indoor with powerful strobe set up?

 

[styloe]

Besides the awkward location, I thought the white balance is off.. reminds me of those PnS camera yellowish hardcopies during the early 80s (when I was a child).

Also, isn't it asymetrical - both the curve of the group-positioning and the subject-framing against the photo (wierd excess space on the left).

On that last row of guys, if I was the photographer, I'd ask the tall guys to cover both corners or stand in the centre.. it looks like a horizontally tilted on this pic.. quite distracting.

To be fair, I don't think it's has to do with an Alpha or otherwise.. I'm sure there are tonnes of decent group pics taken across the world with it.

 

[reaper3075]

in my opinion, i think the composition could be better, perhaps the group should fill the whole frame.. and this pic is rather slanted?

other than that, i guess like someone mentioned, the sun is rather harsh... quite difficult.. probably need lots of reflectors?

did u get a softcopy of the pic? if u did, perhaps some post processing could do the trick?

 

[catchlights]

reflectors will not help here.

the photographer need a cloudy sky, or use a 3000k studio light to blast the group on a sunny day.

 

[JacePhoto]

I think its ok, considering that it's a large grp shot.

To Thread Starter, did you give him a budget to bring in large strobes? Or did you pay him.... ____?

Again, to TS, in what way, do you think you can do better? Pls enlighten us...

 

[synapseman]

The left of the photo has shadows which are particularly distracting. Maybe a slight shift in position away from the palm trees would help a bit. And the lighting conditions aren't the best either. It's not early morning sun, more of late morning, so there are heavy shadows cast on the faces. Choosing position may be possible, but usually the timing is not under the photographer's control, especially for events.

Having said that, given the constraints (as mentioned by the others here), I'd say it's pretty okay for what seems to be an ad-hoc shot. "Good"? Not so. But "Acceptable"? Definitely yes.

Anyway, if TS has problems with the camera used, maybe next time TS can provide the photographer his/her PnS to take the shot.

 

[fotoudavid]

Please enlighten the situation that day.

Base on my experience, event group photo outdoor always got people complain about many things, some will complain too hot, some will never want to stand in the sides, some will always say hurry up etc. The best part is after arranging all, the boss still haven't come, and the rest waiting in the hot sun....

 

[PhotoProZero]

As an event organiser myself, I won't be able to accept such a photo and present it to my client.

Whatever brand the cam is, i think the onus should be on the photog. I would assume that responsible photog. will advise the client where a grp photo should be taken, OR, if the client has engaged an event organiser, the event organiser perhaps should be the one?

I wont be able to agree or disagree whether using a PnS can take better pics. But I've taken Grp photos with my PnS and have turn out well (at least to my expectation).

The shadows on the left, definitely distracting and the photo is tilted.

Hw come u didnt offer to take the grp photo? Just curious....:think:

 

[shahrulesa]

Jill, the picture looks exactly the same as what you see here in A4. The picture contrast is way off, all of the faces looks shiny. The picture looks like it was shot with -2EV and PP to retrieve the detail and saturation and level inreased too high.

The photographer set up the whole thing - it was sunny but not that sunny that would cause glare on your eyes but enough to create unpleasant shadows. The whole team was there, even the bosses, no delay in setting up at all anad everyone were cooperative.

As for the camera, yes it's definitely not the camera - I was quoting it to show that they do have a decent system. In fact from the angle, I think this one was not taken by the main photog who likes to take photo from a low angle

This is another photo straight from camera from the same location but at the back (near the building) - one of their photog took it using my cam.

Photoprozero : I didn't offer because I was teh participants and we paid them a ton for the services. There were one main photog for the event that were with us for the three days, at least 5 of them during the group shots, dinner and outside activities. So far, our other events, had always had good experience with photographers. Now waiting to see the gala dinner photos to see how those turned out.

The only thing was most of us have been seeing good photos for the events from our various cams - dslr, pns, even some from phone cams that when we received the print out, was quite dissapointed not that easy to gather three countries in one place

 

[ahbian]

Looking at this photo, it gives me the impression that there is more than one photographer taking the shot. People don't know where to look.

I think it is more effective to have one photographer controlling and directing the shot.

Location wise, a more suitable one should be chosen such that faces are not blocking each other. Otherwise, the photographer should have elevated his own position.

 

[kelvinkhoo]

We had a South East Asia Company conference and the event organizer hired a group of photographers to take pictures of the three days event.

We also took a group photo and the print out we received looked like this (i scan it at 75dpi)

Is it me or am I to demanding to find the picture totally unacceptable. So far everybody on my team is complaining about the pic. The photog used a song alpha I think but the fact is even any PnS could take good photo in that morning light. Also, there were at least three of them taking at least a total of 30 photos and this is what we got.

Any feedback is appreciated, is it me or is this supposed to be some sort of digital art that I failed to see?

Thank you

For this is the sensor which is off colour, sony DSLR colour is always off unless he/she use flash over come the colour or correct the colours by using photoshop...... If I'm the event organiser, I will demand a explaination from the photographer why is the colours is like that..... and also demand a compensation...... :angry:

 

[Canonised]

Usually these photos are taken FREE by anyone who has a camera, or a nominal amount.

For those really demanding top quality group photo, one has to pay for a decent team of a photographer and assistants with decent gears ....

Timing (if outdoor) is very important as well as the background.

In your case above, i dont think anyone can shoot a "top class" photo because of the sunlight, shadow, shades, and most important the layout (inverted U) .... the background is also CMI la.

 

[shahrulesa]

That goes back to the questio why they set it there in the first place right.. I guess theres nothing that we can do about it now... just trying to express my frustration i guess. Thanks guys.

 

[catchlights]

usually if company asking for group photo, the cost of shooting group photo will be charge separately, the photographer will set up a few studio lightings, camera mounted on tripod, bring a tall ladder, set up everything nicely, than inform the person in charge summon all the people to come for group photo.

from the photo you show, is more like impromptu arrangement, without any additional photography service charges except prints.

result are not fantastic but acceptable.

 

[blurry80]

Location seems to be the problem in the large group shot. If we think about the constraints,

1.) Just wondering at the venue is there an alternative location prepared to have such a huge group photo?
2.) Was the photographer informed only at last minute that there would be a group shot of this scale?

I think to put the blame on the photographer. The above 2 points should be considered.