Help with posing and shooting corporate shot

[Betsye]

I am attaching two different locations for group of about 15 adults that I am doing for a corporate photo. I plan to use two photogenic lights with brollys up high shooting straight on maybe for outside. Does anyone have any better ideas as to shooting or posing? If I have to go indoors on stairs not sure what I am going to do. Lots of chrome and big windows to the side. Yuck!!

I am shooting Nikon D300 with lens either 50 1.4 or 70-200 2.8 or maybe tamron wide angle?

[Betsye]

Sorry here is the outside location I plan to use if not raining or windy . Shooting at 8:15am


Betsye

[dixonduke]

I'd vote for the controlled location, the stairs. I don't care for the ATM machine, but that can be taken care of.

With the stairs you will get maybe 3 people wide, and only go up 5 stairs when posing. Everyone's head is visible, and the highlights (chrome/windows) can be managed with your external lighting.

This is just my opinion, I can be wrong, YMMV

[Betsye]

Thanks for the reply. Would you suggest using two strobes straight on or do I need to put one in back for some light back there. Do you think I should crop at rail or clone out the atm? Not really sure how good I can clone it out to match other side.

Betsye

[SCone]

Stairs gets my vote. Through something over the ATM and position the people so they wrap from the stairs around to the floor to the left. Take the shot from off the left so the stairs are from lower right to the upper left.

[MicWayWal]

Neither one of those locations as shown would work for me.
#1 Skinny stairs are never good. Having lots of rows of people makes the people in the back look insignificant. Depth of field will be a problem here and keeping everyone in focus if possible may take f/22.
#2 Only interesting element here is the water and the people will hide that element. The trees will just stick out of people's heads.

It is hard to tell you what to do because I can't see other possible areas you have to use.
Generally speaking, you need to look for a location that has interesting elements above people heads. Because that is what you will see when the people are positioned. You also need to determine if they require a Vertical or Horizontal format. That may limit your choices as well. I don't usually line people up. I put them in a arc formation so no one gets distorted.
Ideas: Use their building as a background. Use a sign or logo as a background. Don't sit large people, it makes them look bigger. Use very small aperatures.
Good luck.

[Betsye]

The fountain area is what the boss wants and the building is the big club corp chrome building that is not good to shoot in front of so I am kind of stuck.There is no place inside the particular corp office. I had thought about trying to clone in a interesting background perhaps :-). I really do not want to shoot on the stairs......