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[OM] Re: Adding a little science to the group photograph

Subject: [OM] Re: Adding a little science to the group photograph
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 05:48:28 -0500
A final comment on taking group photographs.  As the group gets larger 
it is critical to take the group shots with the camera on a tripod.  As 
noted in the statistical work, when the group gets large enough it is 
almost impossible to get one without at least someone blinking.  If the 
camera is on a tripod you have a much better chance of successful 
doctoring in PhotoShop by moving a pair of eyes from one image to another.

The same problem arises with glare from eye glasses and flash.  To 
minimize the chance of glare you can ask your subjects: First, to remove 
their glasses if they are comfortable without them.  Second, if they 
always wear glasses, to raise their glasses high on the bridge of their 
nose and then raise the ear pieces up a bit off their ears to tilt the 
glass down.  This will direct the reflection downward and away from the 
lens.  But this doesn't always work either (some just won't follow the 
instructions) and, at times, it becomes necessary to doctor the image 
with another of the same person or even to steal the eyes from a 
neighbor to fill in the glare spots.  All of this is much easier if the 
camera was on a tripod and distances and angles are consistent from shot 
to shot.

Chuck Norcutt

Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> I'll also take this opportunity to note that the formula does not 
> consider the extremely short durations of flash photos.
> 
> Chuck Norcutt
> 
> Nick Wilson wrote:
>> usher99@xxxxxxx wrote:
>>
>>  Hmmm,
>> Physicists delving into biological systems.  A very useful approach 
>> though the assumptions can be inaccurate.
>> Blinking frequency is also a function of activity.  One suspects this 
>> decreases when posing for a a group picture.  He also used a system 
>> with a faster sych speed than my OM-2.  I would rather trust  Dr. 
>> Flash's judgment as to how many shots are required for a keeper.
>> Mike
>>
>> Perhaps I missed the beginning of this thread, but there is research in.
>>
>> The 2006 Ig Nobel Prize for Mathematics went to Nic Svenson and Piers 
>> Barnes from the CSIRO for their research into the number of group 
>> photos needed to (almost) ensure that no-one has their eyes shut.
>>
>> http://velocity.ansto.gov.au/velocity/ans0011/article_06.asp
>>
>> Details of all prize winners at: 
>> http://www.improb.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html. My favourite: the 2004 
>> Ig Nobel Peace Prize for inventing karaoke to Daisuke Inoue.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>> Nick
>>
>> PS My nephew is into physics and not into biology. To correct this 
>> glaring deficiency, one of his little pressies for this Christmas is 
>> an extract from Richard Dawkin's 'Climbing Mt Improbable' on the eye. 
>> It reads like physics, but is really biology. Sneaky, eh? It all meets 
>> somewhere in the middle. In the case of animals, perhaps it meats 
>> somewhere in the middle.
>>
>>
>>
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