Outdoor Group Photography for Family Reunion

I have done quite a few photo shoots but nothing like this! I'm shooting a family reunion for 200+ people! Insane! I will probably be using a Nikon 12-24 f/4… And will probably bring a ladder… I have an sb-600 flash but was wondering if other lighting is suggested? The reunion will be outside in a field… Tips for lighting everyone?

I don't think the flash is going to be of any value. Depending on how deep the group is arranged, you are going to need to use a smallish aperture, such as f16, so everyone will be in focus. Watch your shutter speed at that aperture, especially if you are hand holding the camera. You might want to bump up the ISO somewhat if the shutter gets under about 1/60. Using the wide angle lens will let you get away with a slower speed than with a more normal focal length. Try not to frame the group with people very near the edges of the frame, as the wide angle lens can cause some distortion at the edges. Tell everyone that if they can't see your camera, then the camera can't see them. Focus about 1/3 into the group, and with an f11 or f16 aperture, everyone should be in focus. Take several shots, because you can pretty much bet that someone is going to have their eyes closed or cough or pick their nose, etc. You need to have several shots so you can swap heads in Photoshop to arrive at one perfect photo. Try not to have any sun directly in people's eyes so they will not be squinting and also try not to shoot under direct sun or everyone will have dark "raccoon" eye sockets. The ladder is a good idea as it will help to get everyone's head in the shot even with height differences.

Have fun!