Akademik

n.

A photograph in which the subjects are lined up in a row across the picture.

The "firing squad" photo (from either end of the gun) covers any or all of the following events: graduation, completion of a seminar, reunion of a class, meeting of a civic club in a foreign country - with a landmark (Mt. Fuji or the Eiffel Tower) as backdrop and a large banner identifying the group who are all wearing sunglasses and cannot be recognized even by their housemaids.

— Antonio R. Samson, "Fence Sitter," BusinessWorld, April 26, 2002

Once you have your loaded camera in hand, it's time to concentrate on taking good-quality, spontaneous photos that capture the spirit of the event. Photographer D.J. Herda recommends catching subjects in the act of doing something - children at play throwing flying disks or frolicking with the family dog, and adults relaxing on the grass, laughing or telling a story.

"This approach avoids those firing-squad photos of people lined up and grinning, or the stuffy, posed shots," says Herda. He also suggests that your subject hold a prop, such as a beachball, to break up the monotony in your pictures.

— "Camera Angles," The Associated Press, May 3, 1991