Photographers employ a number of well-established techniques when composing the “perfect” image. Some follow the rule of thirds, others use the golden spiral or the golden ratio. When it comes to taking beautiful Meet & Greet photos, or any group photos for that matter, the rule of thirds is a great starting place.

What is the rule of thirds?

Open any camera app on your phone, and you’ll likely see a 9-section grid overlaying the screen. The rule of thirds stipulates that placing key objects in the top and bottom third of the grid will create a visually pleasing image. Since the human eye is said to be drawn to the corners of the center grid segment, aligning a key element (like the subject’s eyeball) with a corner of the center grid section will add additional visual appeal.

The rule of thirds and Meet & Greet photos.

To apply this principle to group portraits (like, say... Meet & Greet photos), follow these three steps:

1. Set the camera (preferably on a tripod) to the height of the artist’s chest, with the background perfectly level. Notice in the image below that the step-and-repeat in the background is perfectly straight.
2. Arrange the group with fans in the center and the artist(s) on one or both sides. Remember, Meet & Greet photos are all about the fan, and their experience with their favorite artists.
3. Place the subjects’ faces along the upper grid line, and center the group horizontally in the frame. Leave some empty space on both sides of the group.

The yellow grid overlaid on this Meet & Greet photo shows the nine segments of the rule of thirds. The four circles indicate the corners of the middle grid section.

Rules are meant to be broken.

Like most principles, the rule of thirds is more of a guide then a steadfast rule. As a Meet & Greet photographer, a number of situations will force you to abandon your perfectly-aligned camera setup. Fans in wheelchairs, small children and large groups all require you to take the camera off the tripod and reframe your shot. In order to accommodate these situations while keeping the line moving, try these three tips:

4. Mark the tripod legs with tape on the floor. That way if you need to get it out of the way to shoot a shorter fan, or someone in a wheelchair, you’ll be able to return to your main shot quickly.
5. Use a zoom lens. While slightly less crisp than a prime lens, a zoom allows you to accommodate different size groups without moving your body or taking the camera off the tripod.
6. Light the entire set. If your flash barely covers the artist and one fan, you’ll struggle to light larger groups without changing your camera’s exposure settings. If you light a wider area than necessary, you can accommodate most group sizes without interrupting your workflow.
7. Leave some space. When setting you your tripod, leave some free space to the left and right of the average group size. This will let you accommodate large groups without moving the camera, and allow fans to crop the photo to 4x6, 11x14, 16x20, etc., without cutting off their favorite artist.
8. Take notes. Once you dial in your camera and lighting setup, you should be able to replicate it quickly and easily. Keep a cheat sheet of camera settings, light settings and camera height to make each event setup a simple process.

Have questions about perfecting your Meet & Greet photos? Want to take your Meet & Greets to the next level? Shoot us a note!

‍