Captive Maternity photoshoot I think I messed up

tracey123

tracey123

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tracey
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My daughter ask me to do a maternity photoshoot for her today and also some photos of her daughter. My grandaughter playing in the garden. Im mot very happy with alot of my images but not sure if it's my laptop or not. They looked ok when I saw them in my daughters computer today but not on mine or else I just haven taken good shots at all. These have not been edited yet so they are just straight from my camera. What does everyone think of these ? Should I just give up trying for a while as sometimes I think the more I try the worse I'm getting. Thanks for any help. received_1719071858354068.jpeg received_1719071935020727.jpeg received_1719052425022678.jpeg received_1719048031689784.jpeg received_1719020261692561.jpeg
 
I can see a couple of issues, missed focus on a couple of them and what I think is camera shake on the last shot (shutter speed too slow).

You won't get better by putting the camera on the shelf, what you need to do is practice more. But without the self-generated pressure of a "maternity shoot". Instead do a couple of different things:
  • Make taking photos an every day thing. Just snap away to gain confidence holding the camera, being seen holding the camera and letting it become "normalised" in the family. This is how I've got some of the best shots of my nephews growing up.
  • Give yourself time and space for sessions to practice one thing at a time, whether it's focusing mode, or exposure modes, or posing a (willing) subject. Keep the sessions short and focus on that one thing you've set yourself to do.
 
Once I have a subject, my mental routine is "background, light, background, light" and when I feel they are right I work on the subject and either wait or encourage the expressions/poses I want. Sometimes this means changing position, waiting for a car or person to walk out of the background or waiting for a cloud to pass and only then do I consider taking the shot.

So for me a few things stand out.

1. The light is flat which isn't necessarily an issue but you need to adapt your style a bit, often shooting B&W can help and definitely keeping the sky out of the shot.
2. The background is very distracting, often the background is as important if not moreso as the subject. Also I'm really not sure a Yew tree is good symbology for a baby shoot...
3. Engagement with the subject, there is little eye contact or general feel they are enjoying playing with the bubbles so the bubbles feel out of place
4. Technicalities of blur etc which has already been mentioned

The good thing is that you've got down low to the baby's level and I would try and go even lower, it still feels a bit like you're looking down at her.

All that said, I've rarely shot babies so what do I know :D
 
received_1719071858354068_jpeg (2).jpg

Not saying its any better, but I think the back ground on the original spoils the little girl......

Your No 3 is close up, and works much better IMHO..A simpler B/G would be better for a wider shot.

I am no expert............

Mj
 
Thanks for the reply. Yes I realised when I looked back on the photos that I hadn't thought everything through properly regards background an lighting. I think I panic an just try to get the shots without thinking what's behind. I will do some editing in photoshop with I just got last week an see if I can Tudy them up a little.
 
Thanks for editing my photo. That's much better, I will try an do some editing to the rest an tidy them up.
 
Yeah I agree with that. Just not sure I even managed to get one great shot on this occasion which is disappointing because my daughter wanted to frame some an I didn't want to let her down even though she said she loves them.
 
Some good advice given, shutter speed - or lack of will account for many blurred shots- practise is the key and you can always re-visit and shoot again

If you could give us the EXIF we can better advise on what the problem is!

Good luck

Les :)
 
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Thanks les. I have a canon 1100d, I was on av setting, f num was small I think around 4.5 or 5 and iso was 100. I don't know what the shutter speed was as I've never figured out how to set it I'm afraid. I was on one shot af and automatic selection. Does this all make sense as I'm still learning all the settings.
 
The main problem here is definitely blur caused by too slow a shutter speed, but there are a couple of other issues.

You had nice soft light, so here's what I'd go for on the re-shoot.

1) Pick a day which is bright but with cloud cover for soft light.

2) Raise your ISO to about 400. I very much doubt you'll notice any IQ difference

3) Shoot in Av and set the aperture to around f5.6 - there are lots of different ways of using aperture for different effects, but lets keep it simple here.

4) Take some test shots, maybe of your daughters face (don't try and pose her at this point, they're test shots to be deleted) and get an idea of what shutter speed you're getting. When you review the image you should be able to see the shutter speed on the rear screen. If you're getting nice high shutter speeds, say 1/500th or faster, then you should be able to avoid most of the movement and blur. If you're getting something like 1/30th then you're going to get problems, so move somewhere a bit brighter, or raise your ISO a bit more.

5) Have fun and fire plenty of shots - make sure the focus point is over the eye - learn how to move the AF point if necessary.

These are basic settings, and a long way from being definitive, but for now, lets just get some shots whilst she's at this age, and worry about getting more advanced in the future.

Mike
 
An interesting thread that is very appropriate for me right now. Thanks to the OP for raising it as my pictures would be pretty similar.

I recently did a day course with big cats in Paradise Wildlife park and was shown not to be scared of high ISO and increasing shutter speed with an appropriate aperture as it can help to isolate a subject. Would those here think that may have worked well with these pictures? What sort of settings would you have started with?
 
tracey123 said:
...................., I was on av setting, f num was small I think around 4.5 or 5 and iso was 100. I don't know what the shutter speed was as I've never figured out how to set it...........................
Click to expand...

if you're on AV mode - the camera sets the shutter speed - not you - and at ISO 100 it was prob too slow hence shaking

so depending on the light - I would have chosen to shoot MANUAL ( to be in control) and set ISO to AUTO

you want to control the aperture - so say f5.6 for a reasonable DoF
you want to control shutter speed for hand-shake - so say 1/125
and just let the ISO climb

it seems to me, many people are afraid to let the ISO climb - ISO 800 and 1600 should be within the capabilities of your Canon
 
Tulipone said:
What sort of settings would you have started with?
Click to expand...
It depends on your camera and what options you have available in the settings.

In this circumstance I'd default to Av, Auto-ISO 200-6400 with minimum shutter speed 1/250 or 1/500 - because I'd be approaching this with a short-tele and I've taken the time to understand my personal shutter speed limitations for hand-holding and children tend to move unpredictably and don't hold a steady pose. I've underlined that for emphasis because the 1/focal length "rule" is only a guideline, and if you've got a shakier grip than average (for whatever reason) you need to understand how to work around it. I'd be chimping and checking the settings the camera was choosing after the first few shots, and again periodically if the light was changing.
 
I agree with all that has been said but do practice Selecting individual focus points, it really shouldn't be in an automatic mode, the closest eye should be your target everytime. Practice scrolling through the individual focus points and get used to using the nearest point to the eye you wish to focus upon. Children move, so practice focus, recompose, shoot, in quick succession.

You only need keep an eye on the shutter speed, don't over complicate it. If you are outdoors then you really should be using speeds of 1/250 minimum, it's indoors that can be problematic. Set your aperture (usually low f/number to give you some background separation) and then your ISO to give you a fast enough shutter speed.
 
Nawty said:
That isn't manual :p you're still letting the camera choose exposure...................
Click to expand...

??..:)

MANUAL ( to be in control) and set ISO to AUTO

you want to control the aperture - so say f5.6 for a reasonable DoF
you want to control shutter speed for hand-shake - so say 1/125
and just let the ISO climb
 
Yardbent said:
??..:)

MANUAL ( to be in control) and set ISO to AUTO

you want to control the aperture - so say f5.6 for a reasonable DoF
you want to control shutter speed for hand-shake - so say 1/125
and just let the ISO climb
Click to expand...

If the Camera chooses the ISO how can this be Manual mode????

Manual mode, as I understand it is the Photographer sets the Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO- that Magic triangle that controls light entering the camera, that which all photographs need

Les
 
^^^ of course -
Tracey said
''...I was on av setting, f num was small I think around 4.5 or 5 and iso was 100...''

my suggestion was to allow the ISO to rise, whilst she concerns herself with shake (speed) and DoF

I'll bow out now.
 
I believe the "what's manual and what's not" debate has been had before in many, many threads - with absolutely no conclusions reached whether setting M on the PASM dial is enough or whether ISO also needs to be locked. I doubt rehashing this adds anything useful to the discussion for the OP.
 
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