It seems like whenever a group of people get together for some event like a reunion, a vacation, or a holiday, a group photo is taken. I don’t think that it’s required by law, unless by some natural law that has driven us all since Neanderthals first painted group images on the walls of their caves. When I first started out in photography, which was a few years after the Neanderthals, I liked to put my camera on a tripod in front of a group of family or friends, set the timer, and run into position while ten seconds ticked away and the shutter clicked. Then, when I would get back from vacation, remember to take my film in for development, and eventually get around to picking it back up again, I could finally see if everyone smiled and if anyone blinked.
In these modern digital daze the number of such images has probably increased 1000-fold. But, the idea is still the same. With the call of “Hey, everybody, it’s time for the group shot,” some people scramble, some people ramble, and a few have to be tracked down — “Where’s Jimmy?!” Eventually the shot is taken and everyone is satisfied that their obligations to family, friends, and history have been met.
I’ve taken quite a few group shots over the years. Maybe I’ll put them into a book some day. Until then I’ve posted a representative smattering of such photos below. They may not be of photographic or historical significance, but they may be of hysterical significance.