A lighting tip: when shooting groups, keep the light simple. One light on the right, one on the left. Powerful, if outside, and modified with softboxes or umbrellas. No hair lights etc. – that does not work with groups.
Take this:
Too dark, of course.
Lighting it up with the usual (‘higher ISO, lower f-number, slower shutter” would blow out the background. Me no like. So instead, I add lights. Two simple lights:
Powered, as you see, by a travel kit (lead-acid battery).
And that gives me this:
See: simple light can do a lot of good. Sure, if you have extra time and lights, add one behind the group, to give a little rim light, but that is a subtle little extra, and with large groups, not always practical.
When the group is very large, ensure that everyone gets lit by the light and watch carefully for shadows: as soon as someone is in two shadows, they are dark.
Even large groups are possible this way: although I did have to lighten up the very back rows just a little, that was a minor adjustment.
Simple can be good.
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Excellent explanation. Thanks.