Some of my work
Mar 6, 2012 08:07:10 #
beautifully done, Call bamboo, I bet they will buy your picture from you. It is outstanding, i could not resist doing this for you
Mar 6, 2012 08:16:16 #
photoshopmikey wrote:
beautifully done, Call bamboo, I bet they will buy your picture from you. It is outstanding, i could not resist doing this for you
Mom: Those are awesome images. The 4th image was my preference. The contrast of b/w with the purple-touch worked really well. It will make for a terrific business card.
Mar 6, 2012 08:42:43 #
Mar 6, 2012 09:32:17 #
Photo mom wrote:
Im new here. And learning photography. Hope this is the right place to post these. Newborn portraits that I took last week. Any advise is welcome.
Welcome Photo Mom, your daughter is a cutie and you have a wonderful avatar. You have a great eye and its obvious that you are talented.
Mar 6, 2012 10:01:14 #
First picture...I'd take some of the blems off the baby's face.
Second picture...great shot. Very cute!
Third picture...WOO WOO. Fantastic. Absolutely my fav. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Second picture...great shot. Very cute!
Third picture...WOO WOO. Fantastic. Absolutely my fav. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Mar 6, 2012 10:05:31 #
Lucian
Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio
Lovely images bit your lighting is too flat and boring on the first two shots. I'm not being nasty just pointing out a fact, this way you can change it and make future shots even more striking. You need to get more shape to the face with use of more creative lighting.
What you have is on camera straight on lighting which is very flat and unflattering. Move the flash off camera and soften it through the use of a diffuser and you will see your images improve. Any mother can simply take a photo of their baby with on camera flash, so why would they need to hire you?
When you start taking flash off camera and get creative with lighting, that is when you set yourself apart and your photos will always look better than anything a mum with a camera can achieve with the flash just on camera. That is what will make you unique to every other mum out there with a camera who fancies themselves as a new Ann Geddies. I just want you to be even better. Nice use of the dark background too. Also try another added flash off and behind the subject, this will give a rim light and set the subject even more away from the background to make it really pop.
What you have is on camera straight on lighting which is very flat and unflattering. Move the flash off camera and soften it through the use of a diffuser and you will see your images improve. Any mother can simply take a photo of their baby with on camera flash, so why would they need to hire you?
When you start taking flash off camera and get creative with lighting, that is when you set yourself apart and your photos will always look better than anything a mum with a camera can achieve with the flash just on camera. That is what will make you unique to every other mum out there with a camera who fancies themselves as a new Ann Geddies. I just want you to be even better. Nice use of the dark background too. Also try another added flash off and behind the subject, this will give a rim light and set the subject even more away from the background to make it really pop.
Mar 6, 2012 10:09:12 #
I am a newborn photographer and I would be happy to give you specific help if you would like to PM me. But over all a few general things to consider. #2 is way too busy and the amount of "foof"on the baby is distracting. Also, the newborn shots are typically done without a diaper... they just have the tendency to look better overall. And yes, you take gambles when you do it. I average two loads of laundry after a typical newborn shoot. ;-)
Generally, true newborn photography is done with a baby less than 2 weeks old for many good reasons. Babies older than two weeks startle more easily and thus your towel shot, despite the praise you are getting, is not considered safe. I am hoping this is a composite shot and that you merged photos in post rather than actually placed an infant in that unsafe position. Please tell me you had a spotter near by as the child is too large for that small plane given the height!
One of the challenges with people shooting newborns is safety. I see it all the time in unskilled hands and safety should be the number one concern. People often think, "hey, I have a camera, I like to shoot, I have kids, I've seen some neat pictures on line, I can do that!" Newborn photography really is a specialty and there is wonderful training out there to learn how to do it safely and well. But attempting to match what you see someone else do can be dangerous in unskilled hands. Please be careful! Do not practice newborn photography alone as a spotter is always used by professionals.
As for the pictures themselves you came closest in #3. However, I would say the background would be more "nursery dreamy" if it was white, get rid of the purple flower insert (that looks awkward) and use a larger space so the child appears smaller, get rid of the diaper and capture the child sleeping. (It is easy to get with a baby just a few days old) That would be a picture that sells.
Your baby girl is adorable and you have a beautiful "built in subject" to practice on for years to come! ;-) Congrats. Just promise me you'll not attempt any skilled pose that "looks" unsupported when in "reality" those who do it professionally "do it" in Photoshop. There...now you know one of the magic tricks on the trade. ;-)
Best of luck!
Generally, true newborn photography is done with a baby less than 2 weeks old for many good reasons. Babies older than two weeks startle more easily and thus your towel shot, despite the praise you are getting, is not considered safe. I am hoping this is a composite shot and that you merged photos in post rather than actually placed an infant in that unsafe position. Please tell me you had a spotter near by as the child is too large for that small plane given the height!
One of the challenges with people shooting newborns is safety. I see it all the time in unskilled hands and safety should be the number one concern. People often think, "hey, I have a camera, I like to shoot, I have kids, I've seen some neat pictures on line, I can do that!" Newborn photography really is a specialty and there is wonderful training out there to learn how to do it safely and well. But attempting to match what you see someone else do can be dangerous in unskilled hands. Please be careful! Do not practice newborn photography alone as a spotter is always used by professionals.
As for the pictures themselves you came closest in #3. However, I would say the background would be more "nursery dreamy" if it was white, get rid of the purple flower insert (that looks awkward) and use a larger space so the child appears smaller, get rid of the diaper and capture the child sleeping. (It is easy to get with a baby just a few days old) That would be a picture that sells.
Your baby girl is adorable and you have a beautiful "built in subject" to practice on for years to come! ;-) Congrats. Just promise me you'll not attempt any skilled pose that "looks" unsupported when in "reality" those who do it professionally "do it" in Photoshop. There...now you know one of the magic tricks on the trade. ;-)
Best of luck!
Mar 6, 2012 11:16:57 #
You have the touch, WOW. This may help...
http://www.momswithcamera.com/
Also in the first one only one high light in the eyes, makes them stand out more, that pop or wow you look for.
http://www.momswithcamera.com/
Also in the first one only one high light in the eyes, makes them stand out more, that pop or wow you look for.
Mar 6, 2012 11:39:51 #
Mar 6, 2012 11:59:06 #
As Kristine mentioned shots like the baby on the towel shots are normally composites and spliced together in PS. A baby can tumble off and get hurt and someone should always have their hands on the baby.
The lighting is a little flat (I suck at lighting) and her skin tones could be evened out a little. It also looks like the could be a little soft, the focus isn't as sharp as they could be. Are you selecting your focus points yourself or letting the camera pick them? or it could have been too slow of a shutter speed or to wide of an aperture setting.
She is cute as can be.
The lighting is a little flat (I suck at lighting) and her skin tones could be evened out a little. It also looks like the could be a little soft, the focus isn't as sharp as they could be. Are you selecting your focus points yourself or letting the camera pick them? or it could have been too slow of a shutter speed or to wide of an aperture setting.
She is cute as can be.
Mar 6, 2012 12:05:40 #
Photo mom wrote:
Im new here. And learning photography. Hope this is the right place to post these. Newborn portraits that I took last week. Any advise is welcome.
I think you towel shots should either fill up more of the screen or be somewhat off center. Probably fill up most of the screen. Other than that, keeping doing what you are doing.
Mar 6, 2012 12:14:48 #
You are not afraid to get close and that is excellent. Too many folks take the 'away' approach.
To calm a child that is not yours during a shoot give him/her something he already likes. The presence of a familiar smell and texture helps in scary surrounding (like a studio)... You need to get the parents to bring that item with them, even the thing is ugly.
To calm a child that is not yours during a shoot give him/her something he already likes. The presence of a familiar smell and texture helps in scary surrounding (like a studio)... You need to get the parents to bring that item with them, even the thing is ugly.
Mar 6, 2012 12:17:36 #
photoshopmikey wrote:
Why do you place your own 'modifications' onto someone else's thread when this is not about requested 'like pictures'?.../...
Mar 6, 2012 12:20:29 #
yes i had horrific lighting conditions paired with the fact that i know nothing about lighting. i dont have any lights or reflectors. i do have a speed light for my camera and a diffuser for it. i want to buy some lights but have no idea what to get. i love natural light but this day was very dark and gloomy. i need to learn about lighting asap!
Mar 6, 2012 12:23:41 #
Lucian wrote:
Lovely images bit your lighting is too flat and bo... (show quote)
yes i had horrific lighting conditions paired with the fact that i know nothing about lighting. i dont have any lights or reflectors. i do have a speed light for my camera and a diffuser for it. i want to buy some lights but have no idea what to get. i love natural light but this day was very dark and gloomy. i need to learn about lighting asap. i have only a tiny space to set up for now although i would like to have them away from the backdrop. thanks for your help!
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