The Friendship Arc
Homecoming · Fictional concept directions; adapt to actual subjects and clothing

8 participant(s)

SAY TO YOUR SUBJECT
Make a very shallow curve.
Leave a little daylight between shoulders.
Everyone look at me.

POSE
Stable feet, torsos slightly inward, shoulders relaxed, separate hands at sides, all faces and eyes toward lens.

SETUP
A broad permitted lawn backed by a quiet woodland edge.
Exactly 8 teenagers in one shallow arc, 30–50 cm shoulder gaps, taller friends toward centre, no more than 0.6 m front-to-back spread.

CAMERA
Landscape 4:3 full length; level average chest-height phone, 1× Photo at roughly 7–9 m; include shoes and keep outer people away from edges.

LIGHT (Cloudy / shade)
One consistent open-sky source across the full arc; use open shade or overcast, no patchy sunlight.

BACKGROUND & DEPTH
Darkish planting band 5 m or more behind when possible.
Keep arc depth under about 0.6 m.
Avoid canopy branches merging with heads.

CAPTURE
Make three frames, pause to check faces and edges, then capture a small expression variation.

CHECK
Fewer than 8 visible faces
End participants stretched
Dappled light on one person

ALTERNATIVE
Straight shallow row if the arc feels awkward; retain face gaps.

Garden rules: keep paths clear, stay out of beds, no climbing.
https://bellevuebotanical.org/photography/