Be Careful on the Stairs!

Event photographers often need to photograph a group of people on a staircase, either in an elegant home or catering hall. The staircase shot can be a challenge but positioning yourself correctly can produce a great result.

Shooting your subjects straight on from the top or bottom of the stairs will give you trouble with both the light falloff and dept of field. If the layout of the room allows you to shoot from the open side of the staircase you will get a more even spread of light and all your subjects will be in focus.

You can even vary the pose by putting the main subjects (in a wedding the Bride & Groom) standing on the floor near the handrail and possibly include shorter people such as ring-bearer, flower girl, junior bridesmaid and junior ushers in front of the people standing on the stairs.