School Pre-Ball Photography — Maudsland

A large group send-off at a private home

Photographing a large pre-ball group

A large school pre-ball photographed at a private home in Maudsland. A full house of students and parents, coverage across the afternoon, and everyone out the door before the light went.

Large pre-balls need a different approach to a family session. The full group shot is the one everybody wants and the hardest to get right — fifty students, nobody hidden, nobody blinking, and a background that fits them all. I'll usually get that done early while everyone's still in one place, then work through couples, friendship groups, families and candids as the afternoon runs on.

If you're hosting one

Two things make the biggest difference: pick the spot for the full group shot before the day, and give everyone a time for it. Chasing fifty students around a house at 5pm is how the group shot ends up rushed. A covered area or a wide set of steps beats an open lawn — height helps you see the back row.

Pre-ball and pre-formal sessions run across Maudsland, Oxenford, Upper Coomera, Pacific Pines, Helensvale, Nerang and the wider Gold Coast, from $180 per hour. See more pre-formal photography or check availability for your school's ball.