large family picture - suggestions?

[rikkersc]

Clockdoc,
I'm not sure why it says the flash didn't fire. Maybe it was because it was a hot-shoe mounted one and not the onboard flash? I do know it fired since I took one shot where it did not fire and the entire photo was a lot darker.

I thought about the dodge tool in Elements as well, and here is another version where I quickly touched up the back row with it. I also lightened the area around the eyes on the older woman in the middle and removed a little of the red on her right eye (eye on the left in the photo) since she just had cataract surgery and also didn't want her eyes to look "sunken" in.

[clockdoc]

Nice work on the second image. A couple of the guys in the back row could use a tad bit more lightening but overall it is much improved over the first one. Thanks for posting the changes.

[hpebley3]

Here are a couple links you might find helpful:

• General hints
• Lighting
• Ideas for posing

Hope it helps and good luck.

[lsikora]

One way to eliminate some photoshop work is to ask everyone to close their eyes. After your count of three, everyone opens their eyes, looks at the camera, delivers their best smile and you snap about 1/2 to one second later capturing everyone with their eyes open.