Shooting 75 girls at once

[David Hood]

Part of our "value add" to the drill teams that we support is to help them with their annual school calendar. They sell the calendar to the students and parents at school and football games to raise funds and build awareness for the team. For us, it's a great publicity builder for our senior portraits.

Each year we do something different (this is our 3rd year). It's very challenging to come up with a theme that's cute, feminine, and new for a group of 75. (If anyone has ideas please forward them, lol).

Here's what we came up with this year...

[Charles Bilconish]

Dave, more info on the calender. Photo for each month? Who makes them? How are they sold and how much, etc. Thanks!

[Jennifer Kastens]

Thanks for sharing! Great ideas. How high up are you for the large group photo?

[David Hood]

Photos are on each month. These photos along with other team photos. By including other sports the calendar is "the school calendar" and not just "the drill team calendar".

The calendar printing is paid for by 10 underwriters at $500 each. The final calendar is then sold for $5 each. They print about 700 copies. Cost to print is about $3500, so they raise about $5,000 for their budget.

Here's another one. These will all be printed in the next 2 weeks.

[Peter Quinn]

Very cool David. I really like the breakdowns you have done for the group.

[David Hood]

12 foot ladder

Thanks for sharing! Great ideas. How high up are you for the large group photo?

[David Hood]

We also work with the Cheer teams...

[Charles Bilconish]

Thanks David, really neat work and idea.

[Susan Bryg]

David - I didn't see a credit to your studio anywhere. Was that not important for you?

[Tom Usher]

Those "shoot from a very tall ladder" shots are always a bit akward, but you've really made them nice. The use of the blend and borders holds the design together well. Nice job!

[Virginia Fuller]

David, do you have samples of your past years?
What you did this year is fantastic. Who coordinated the clothing colors?
Nice work.

[Tina Feten]

Since you have enough girls, how about using a pattern made up of girls? Or spell a word or initials, and then use your text to fill in the rest. Example, girls form a STAR pattern. Or the word Very Best, or even VB with the rest filled in to spell out the word. They could use their bodies to make a word if it's a smaller group.

Love the way you have them dress in color coordinating outfits. I need to make some calendars now.

[David Hood]

Susan, These are all pre-production images, the logo was added later.

Virginia, I have the older stuff, but it's off on backup DVD somewhere and I'm sorta swamped with seniors right now. Maybe I can get it later.

The drill team instructor coordinates the clothing.

BTW, these are all photographed in a high school gym.

[David Hood]

I did something like that 2 years ago with a cheer squad of 18 people. One of the challenges is to keep the girls faces as large as possible. Parents really like it when they can recognize their kid.

Since you have enough girls, how about using a pattern made up of girls? Or spell a word or initials, and then use your text to fill in the rest. Example, girls form a STAR pattern. Or the word Very Best, or even VB with the rest filled in to spell out the word. They could use their bodies to make a word if it's a smaller group.

Love the way you have them dress in color coordinating outfits. I need to make some calendars now.

[Virginia Fuller]

Virginia, I have the older stuff, but it's off on backup DVD somewhere and I'm sorta swamped with seniors right now. Maybe I can get it later.

I understand that, if and when you get time.
I love what you did, and in a school gym? Wow.