How come it's almost always like that?

Well you don't want to take the blame for a faulty photo shoot right? The people on the edge are doing you a favor by huddling themselves just so they'll fit in. Well not unless you tell them that you're shooting on panoramic mode where you can include the neighboring country like China. lol!

Hi Theresa! We know the photo will be small so I guess that we huddle together so that we all fit in. Well that's a good enough excuse for huddling together don't you think?

I reckon it's because most of us really dislike having our picture taken, so the closer we get to someone else, the better the chances that we can use them to block us out of the photo!

One of my questions as well whenever I get to view pictures from friends.. I really don't try to huddle close whenever I get included in the picture, unless the one taking the photo tells me to.. I mean, why always huddle, as in, do we want to suggest that we are close?

In psychological term it is called force of belongingness. Now just observe who are the people who huddle too close to each other? They are of the same social standing, not necessarily belonging to one particular family. The person/persons who at the last moment makes his/her way into the already assembled for photo does not want to be segregated from the rest of his fellow beings. If by chance he/she got left it would be sort of getting relegated and no body wants to be in that condition. If you as the person pushing for a place to be among the others in the photo would deny but this is always in the subconscious mind of the person. You would not usually see an elderly or a leader sort of person doing that as they know where they stand. This is for the less secured or with the fear of non recognition or non belonging mindset.

you're spot on again teach. am a psychology graduate with units in education. we huddle together because most picture taking moments are with friends and we psychologically want to emanate that aura to the picture. make it last forever so to speak.

It is the most important thing when taking a photo whether it be a group or any other subject that it/they appear in the lens otherwise they will not be in the photo. I also think it is because it is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye in the resulting photo. I know I do not want to have a photo of a group of stragglers who appear to not even care or want to be in the photo,

honestly, the old view finders seldom showed exactly WHAT the picture would take, far better to be crowded in together. now, with digitals, we can crop the pix to take out all that extra space.... (or ugly back grounds) as most of the pix I put up are

I do not want to sound sexist or anything, but I noticed that most of the photos where people are huddled together are of girls. I do not know why, but whenever I'm with my friends, I notice that we do not huddle together much but stand close enough to look like a group photo. bourne

Hey Theresaaiza! I am laughing when I think that is so true! People do do that evertime they take a group picture to this day! I am wondering what that means psychologically! I guess we do feel like me might not fit into the frame so we have to all squeeze in to make sure! I do know that there were times that people were squeezed out of picures in the past so that is true! Has it changed with the new lenses and new cameras? I really don't know!

We huddle when taking pictures because we commonly believe that taking pictures translate to freezing a memory. And when you take pictures with your friends or family, you want to project a feeling of closeness and happiness and a sense of belonging. Which, in essence, is accomplished by huddling. Compare how, when a picture is to be taken on a location with a picturesque setting/background, people often raise their hands (or something similar) as if to say, "Look at all these before me!" It's a means to call attention to something. This is just my observation though. Not a psychological study or anything.

For me I huddle close so I can give my best pose and smile.lol!That's the only reason I have why I always run in front.

Well, it just mean, that most of the people are really that vain everytime a camera will be flashing. Even if it doesn't suggest everyone to pose, everyone will do without hesitation. Taking picture really is fun, and if youre not part of the fun, you'll feel being discriminated, that's why people tend to cuddle closer to let everyone join the fun. happy picture taking.. say cheese XD haha

I never have been in a photograph group. I missed my oppurtunities as I am sure they exist located in San Francisco. But, I have my reasons why its like that. Oh, as I read later your group pictures like family n' stuff. Yeah, at least one of me or someone close happends to get squeezed out of the picture. It sucks!

I had to smile because I've been guilty of that myself. I think it's psychological. We think of that tiny hole on the front of the camera, as well as that tiny screen on the back of digital cameras and psychologically we're thinking there's no way we'll all fit! Maybe it stems from the camera's origins, when curved lenses hasn't been invented yet and everyone huddled together to ensure they'd all be in the photo. Who knows? But, you are very correct about this. People DO huddle together! Interesting post... I hadn't given that much thought before now.