How to Take Better and Safer Group Selfies

Taking group selfies (groupies?) is a challenge in the best of times, but social distancing adds a whole other dimension. Space. These days, when we'd love to celebrate our get-togethers, we want to be both creative and safely distanced at the same time. 

First off, whether your group is in quarantine together or is cautiously gathered with social distancing, getting more than an arm's length from the camera is essential. A bunch of heads filling the frame was a novelty at the Oscars, but even if we could still pose cheek-to-cheek we can do so much better than that with "groupies" we take. The best group photos tell a story and include a place or obvious circumstance that adds meaning to the picture. 

The picture above, for instance, tells the story of our family's Christmas tree hunt in a way that our four faces against an evergreen background would not. It was out in a genuine farmer's field, was winter but not snowy, and we had a lot of fun.

This shot is a reminder of visiting the cool new TWA Hotel at JFK when we picked up our son on JetBlue. You see enough of the background to appreciate the Jetson's style retro decor. 

To get these kinds of photos takes a little bit of planning, but not much, and once you start thinking about group shots you'll be thrilled with the fun you can have and the great photos you can create, even in the age of social distancing. There are really just two things to consider. 

SOME GROUND TO STAND ON

The first thing is how to support your iPhone to take the picture, and it's not as hard as you might think. If there's a table or counter around, you can lean it against your purse, a folded copy of the New York Times, or a grande Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino®. Any little thing that's heavier than your iPhone will do.

For the TWA Hotel shot, I used a handrail on the wall to position my iPhone. Height doesn't matter so much because you're going to be far enough away that you can get everyone in. Even if the table or chair is lower, it's not going to be weird. Practice around your home with different props and positions to get familiar with setting up your iPhone for a group photo. 

Sooner or later, to take your groupies to the next level, you'll want a small tripod, and there are plenty to choose from. You can go from a mini pocket sized tripod and clamp to a heavy duty selfie stick that can extend to 30" and becomes a lightweight tripod. Using a tripod lets you set up your iPhone pretty much anywhere so you have more control over what's in the background and how far away it is from your group. Do an internet search for "iPhone tripod" to see what's available.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Now some of those tripods have a bluetooth remote shutter release, but here's the thing. Not only does that remote release take a few more precious seconds to set up, but using the Camera App self-timer adds some useful features. 

BURST MODE

Most people don't realize that by default you get a burst of 10 quick photos when you use the Camera App self-timer. You might not be a fan of bursts, but with photos of 3 or more people, it's really, really handy. Guaranteed that someone will blink or glance away or brush hair from their face right when the shutter goes off. But with a burst, you get a sequence of 10 shots for 1 second after the shutter release. A lot more changes in a second than you might think so you can pick the frame where everyone looks best and trash the others. 

LIVE GROUPIES

The other option is to turn on Live Photo. When you do that, Live Photo overrides the default Burst setting and gives you some extras to play with. 

A Live Photo shot captures a 3 second video clip; 1.5 seconds before the "shutter release" and 1.5 seconds after it. That gives you three times the choices of a Burst shot for that "perfect" frame. It also gives you the option of saving that Live Photo as a motion loop or bounce to share on social media or Messages. Having everyone jump in the air or cheer or yell "Happy New Year" can make a fun animated post. 

SELF-TIMER SETUP

To set up the Self-Timer, just tap the reveal arrow above the photo in the Camera App and you will see the Self-Timer icon show up below. When you tap on it, you get the options for a 3 second or a 10 second countdown. Once you tap your choice, hitting the shutter button will start the countdown sequence.

One other thing. You can use the timer on either the front camera or backside camera(s) so set that as you wish. In general, I prefer the front camera so everyone can see the countdown clock on the screen. It's quick to set up and position. The backside cameras, though, give you the option of using ultra-wide and telephoto lenses if you have them on your iPhone. 

Finally, remember that a great group photo tells a story. Right now, even distanced, masked people speak to this moment we're living through and can add even more meaning and interest to your socially distanced groupies.