Team picture problems

[SJH Foto]

Hello again. I shot this with my Canon 40d at 18mm f/4 ISO 400 1/60 sec with built-in flash. Two questions about this picture. First, I always try to mix it up for team shots, so they don't have that static look of group photos where all the subjects are in a row. How did I do?

Also, and no offense, I mean no hidden racial message in this: any suggestions on how to better illuminate a dark skinned person in a photo of mostly whites so that I won't have to post-process every photo I take? The African-American girl here is a bit too dark, while the white girls will be too blown-out if I decrease the shutter speed.

Thanks for your help folks! Your advice is always spot on, and appreciated!

By the way, you can check out my website at www.sjhfoto.com to see more of my work.

[SJH Foto]

Sorry, I think I shrank that picture a little too much. Here it is again:

[jdepould]

Skin tone can be really tricky, especially when you have people with very different skin in the same shot. I think part of the problem is that you're using the onboard flash. Two lights would really work better here, especially if you had one off to the side, it'll give everything more texture/depth.

If they're vastly different, you may end up doing some dodging in post.

The posing is a bit weird, the front row of girls are pretty much the same, but what's going on in the second row, why are half the people standing by themselves? Also, the background is distracting.

[divaphoto]

I think the pic would benifit from tighter cropping.
I dont know how to fix skin tones as new to photography and post processing.
here is a team photo I took of my sons Aussie Rules team after the last game of the season.

[ditch_azeroth]

a 2nd light source, and maybe a 3rd light source even really helps. but, if you are using your onboard flash, here's a little trick - let the darker skinned people stay up front and have the lighter-skinned peeps stay at the back/rear level. at the very least, this should give the darker-skinner person/s 1/3-2/3 stop of "exposure compensation" ^_^

[SJH Foto]

That is a good idea in this case. However, a word of warning: I did that once with a team that was roughly half black, and half white, and the players, officials and parents thought I was trying to be funny, and no one seemed to accept my reason! So, while your advice of having the darker skinned players up close is sound, it may not always work. Also, the light source idea is, of course stellar as well, but alas, I can't do that-I am primarily there to shoot a game, not posed pictures. Even though they want a team shot after the tournament, they do not want me lugging stuff into the gym-even a monopod is frowned on!

Once again, I am not trying to shoot down your ideas out of hand-they are all good, and valid. They just won't work in my case usually.

[divaphoto]

I think that in cases like yours a candid team shot is often better than a posed one.
It may not be as good technically but I have found that the families of kids sports arent looking for perfect exposure etc.
They just want an adequate picture of their kid having fun also you can only do your best with available light whether it be indoors or out.
Keep on photographing the games you are probably getting some great action shots, take more pics than you need as you can always delete later.

[SJH Foto]

I have a few candid shots too, but it is hard to get the whole team in a candid.

I am trying out different poses though.

[dysalot]

Personally I would take the shot from a lower angle if possible, so that "you" are not looking down on them, but at them. It's obvious you were down a little, but further down would make the people standing in the second row seem a little bit closer to the level of the people in the front. Also this would help remove and perceived distractions from the background.