The key to a great photograph of any kind has much to do with the location. So check with your friends for possible locations before all the kids go off to the prom.

One of the parents had a lovely backyard with steps that made for fabulous “natural” risers.

This large group photo is typical. The last photo is usually the large group since some will run late.

I recommend using lights to ensure you can see everyone’s face without raccoon eyes. Racoon eyes are from the overhead sun or, even worst, a backlit photo.

Here is the setup I did for all the photos:

I had six Alienbees B1600 lights. Four are in front with 65″ umbrellas, and two in the back pointed up to be sure the trees didn’t go black. Instead, the trees created a dark canopy, and the strobes in the back helped open up the shadows.

Plan for the lens choice as well. I needed to move quickly, so for all the photos except the massive group photo, I used the Nikkor 24-120mm. This lens lets me do a couple of shots and then quickly have a small group photo.

You see, on the evening of the prom, they do not want to take photos all night long. They want to go to the dance. So pick a great location, put up your lights and then have a lens like the 24-120mm or multiple cameras with different lenses ready to go.

Proms are just a couple of months away, but the best photos are the ones where the photographer takes the next two months to plan. You can rent lights if you don’t have them. If you have never done this before, do a test run before the date.