Expert: Don Wood - 1/11/2005

Question
My in-laws are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.  We are having a picture taken of the entire immediate family.  There will be 16 people in the picture.  Do you suggest a color that we should all wear to make the picture more appealing?

Answer
Obviously you do not want to have colors clashing with one another. On the other hand, if all are wearing the same color clothing, it would be as if it were a black/white print with color in the faces and visible flesh.
What I used to do in these cases would be to take several pictures, the complete family, children, brothers, sisters, spouses, etc. Then I would take pics of the immediate family, the children, with Mom and Dad. Then I would take pix of the individual children with their families and Mom and Dad. You may want to get a picture of the grandchildren with Grandpa and Grandma.
To answer the immediate question, I would not limit the colors since there are so many people in the picture. One color would not stand out unless it were so outlandish.
Biggest group I ever took was a 50th anniversary with 15 children in the immediate family. Needless to say I took pictures for almost a very intensive hour and succeeded in giving the family a wonderful series of pictures to remember the occasion. It was a fun shoot. Usually you try to plan the shoot so that it flows from one group to another. Start with the largest group with Mom and Dad, and then go to the smaller groups. I usually had Mom and Dad in chairs in the center of the group. They would remain there until I was finished. Don't forget to also get some shots of the happy couple by themselves. The children will prize these pictures.
Thanks for asking, if I left anything out, please ask.
Don