The Essentials: Group photos

Group photographs provide a visual record of the people in an organization or on a team. Help your readers by arranging and naming people in group photos in a logical and consistent manner.

Some group photos simply don’t work. The “Boy’s Hi-Y” group shot in the 1928 Dixon High School yearbook (Dixon, Illinois) is a case in point.  You never know when the vice-president of a club may become president of the United States. Try to find Ronald Reagan in this photo.

Give your readers a break by arranging and identifying people in group photos in a logical and consistent manner.

It’s important to be able to find a particular person in a group picture. These photos also help record the history of your school. Following a few guidelines will help your readers use group shots as a reference tool.

• Begin with the name of the group, maintaining a consistent style: “Varsity Baseball:” or “Varsity Baseball—”.
• Use first and last names of everyone pictured.
• To avoid confusion, designate rows as “Front Row” instead of “First Row” and continue with “Second Row…” and “Back Row.”
• Set row designations in a different type weight.
• Do not use “left to right” notations.
• Titles or positions may be included if done consistently.
• Place titles or positions before the name (i.e. Coach Robert Bloom).
• Include any students, advisers or coaches “not pictured.”
• Index group photos.

The way you arrange the people in the groups is also important.

• Arrange people in easily identifiable rows.
• Crop the photos closely, without distracting objects. When possible, crop students at the waist.
• Head sizes should be large enough to be recognized. If the groups are large, break them up into smaller units, 30 at the most.
• Plan for variations of sizes and shapes of group shots. They may vary based on the number of people pictured.
• Have baseball, softball, ice hockey, wrestling, water polo, band and football remove hats, headgear and helmets.

To maximize the historical value of the yearbook, as an easy-to-use reference tool, follow the simple guidelines listed above.

In addition to the verbal essentials needed with club and team photos, don’t forget about the visual aspect. Cedar Park High School connected the sports photos to their theme by using their circular logo and the gradient block pattern. The effect clearly stamps the spread as part of the 2018 Tracks book.