Maternity shoot

[Morbid]

I haven't posted for a while but as this was a first maternity shoot, for them and for me, I thought I'd share some pictures. These were the ones they decided to share on Facebook, so taking this from their point of view, I guess these are the best of the bunch from around 150 shots taken over four hours last Saturday afternoon - with plenty of breaks for a chat, a cuppa and biscuits.

1. Magda&Simon_153 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

2. Magda&Simon_015 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

3. Magda&Simon_096 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

4. Magda&Simon_073 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

5. Magda&Simon_054 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

6. Magda&Simon_046 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

7. Magda&Simon_147 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

As always, I'm happy for any critique people may wish to offer.

 

[Ian W]

1, 4 and 7 are the picks for me. Good effort I'd say.

 

[UaeExile]

Thanks for posting Ian. Not my kind of photography at all, but I think for a first attempt you've done really well! A few comments for you:

• 2&4 both have off-white artifacts in the top right corner. No.3 also has a thin strip running along the length of the image as well.
• Most could do with tidying up... Stray hairs here and there, no biggie.
• No. 6 is my pick of the bunch by far... really lovely shot but I think it could do with cropping in closer?

Well done.

 

[Carlh]

Great first attempt - a really good range of expressions - the couple looked like they were enjoying the session. Minor niggles as per above though I couldn't see the thin strip that eagle-eyed adam has spotted - but I do like these and Im sure the couple love them

 

[cargo]

Hi Ian. Great job. Do like number 6 as a fav but others are very very good.
Well done.

Gaz

 

[juggler]

Lovely. 4 & 6 for me.

 

[Livin The Dream]

Really good Ian, you've come along way and these are great with just a set of speed lights! I'd just watch the skin tones in the colour / white BG versions, seem a bit red viewing on my monitor, especially no.2.

 

[Morbid]

1, 4 and 7 are the picks for me. Good effort I'd say.

Thanks for the feedback Ian, appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Thanks for posting Ian. Not my kind of photography at all, but I think for a first attempt you've done really well! A few comments for you:

• 2&4 both have off-white artifacts in the top right corner. No.3 also has a thin strip running along the length of the image as well.
• Most could do with tidying up... Stray hairs here and there, no biggie.
• No. 6 is my pick of the bunch by far... really lovely shot but I think it could do with cropping in closer?

Well done.

This is the feedback I was hoping for with these, good spot Adam, and thanks for taking the time to post.

• I viewed these across a few devices/screens and couldn't see the artifacts. Only when tilting the screen on the old MacBook at work could I see it. Not sure how that's happened. I had two lights on the background and it looked totally blown in ACR. Am I right in thinking you use the Dell IPS screen, or am I thinking of someone else? One of the 27" ones is on my wishlist and if it shows this sort of thing up, that's a stronger argument. My old eyes can't see the strip you mention on 3 - which edge?
• With them wanting to see all the shots, there were too many to any spend time on - all done in ACR bar the landscape edits (which was only to extend the canvas). They are selecting the ones they want printing and I'll spend more time on these.
• No 6 - spot on, they cropped in closer themselves when they put that on FB (just below her fingers and in from the left).

Great first attempt - a really good range of expressions - the couple looked like they were enjoying the session. Minor niggles as per above though I couldn't see the thin strip that eagle-eyed adam has spotted - but I do like these and Im sure the couple love them

Cheers Carl, they did have a good time, as did I, and it was nice to get to know them too (Simon is my other half's uncle).

Hi Ian. Great job. Do like number 6 as a fav but others are very very good.
Well done.

Gaz

Thanks Gaz, appreciate you stopping by and commenting.

Lovely. 4 & 6 for me.

Thank you Simon

Really good Ian, you've come along way and these are great with just a set of speed lights! I'd just watch the skin tones in the colour / white BG versions, seem a bit red viewing on my monitor, especially no.2.

Thanks Kris, I could have done with one more speedlight. I needed two for the background (given they are a little taller than my normal model!) which left me with nothing for key bar reflectors (so not ideal). They were a little under exposed so maybe the PP has brought in some magenta in, maybe the WB was out. Not sure.... Simon works outside (car detailing) and does have quite a red complexion, probably from the wind as we haven't had much sun, and Magda helps out too, even though she's pregnant. I left the skin like this as I was using the unexposed parts of the body (Magda's belly) as the reference. I do need a better monitor though, it was hard to tell if it was right or not and this was my main concern with the shots.


Thanks again for the comments and sorry for the late reply, the day job is taking up a lot of my time atm.

 

[UaeExile]

This is the feedback I was hoping for with these, good spot Adam, and thanks for taking the time to post.

• I viewed these across a few devices/screens and couldn't see the artifacts. Only when tilting the screen on the old MacBook at work could I see it. Not sure how that's happened. I had two lights on the background and it looked totally blown in ACR. Am I right in thinking you use the Dell IPS screen, or am I thinking of someone else? One of the 27" ones is on my wishlist and if it shows this sort of thing up, that's a stronger argument. My old eyes can't see the strip you mention on 3 - which edge?
• With them wanting to see all the shots, there were too many to any spend time on - all done in ACR bar the landscape edits (which was only to extend the canvas). They are selecting the ones they want printing and I'll spend more time on these.
• No 6 - spot on, they cropped in closer themselves when they put that on FB (just below her fingers and in from the left).

You're welcome Ian.

I did look at the DELL, but ended up with an even bigger 34inch IPS curved LG. Not sure it help me pick more up on-screen but it's pretty to look at

 

[juggler]

I viewed these across a few devices/screens and couldn't see the artifacts. Only when tilting the screen on the old MacBook at work could I see it. Not sure how that's happened. I had two lights on the background and it looked totally blown in ACR. Am I right in thinking you use the Dell IPS screen, or am I thinking of someone else? One of the 27" ones is on my wishlist and if it shows this sort of thing up, that's a stronger argument. My old eyes can't see the strip you mention on 3 - which edge?

When I'm aiming for pure white or black I use a threshold adjustment layer in PS to check what I'm doing.

 

[Morbid]

When I'm aiming for pure white or black I use a threshold adjustment layer in PS to check what I'm doing.

Mmm....that's a new one to me. Will take a look at that. Thanks Simon. Due to quantity these were all done in ACR bar the canvas extending ones and the B&W versions (which was Pookeyhead's method).

 

[Serendipitous Sid]

I really don't like maternity shots. At all. Never have. Still, every now and then I brace myself to take a squint at one to see if they're as banal, contrived and trite as usual.

This one's different. These have got something which most maternity pictures lack, and that probably stems from your being tuned in to the couple.

Whatever it is, it worked very well indeed.

 

[Morbid]

I really don't like maternity shots. At all. Never have. Still, every now and then I brace myself to take a squint at one to see if they're as banal, contrived and trite as usual.

This one's different. These have got something which most maternity pictures lack, and that probably stems from your being tuned in to the couple.

Whatever it is, it worked very well indeed.

Thanks for taking the time to take a look and comment Dan.

I only had one shot I wanted to do planned, which was him kneeling to kiss her tummy (one I'd seen online and showed them as a possible option which they liked). I was going to look for others, but the day job went a bit crazy in the week between asking them if they wanted to do it and actually taking the shots, and I had no free time at all. Maybe that helped?

They came round, we had a chat over coffee for half an hour or so, got to know each other etc. Didn't really talk about any photos. Simon is my other half's uncle so we've met but always at family meals so I knew them but I didn't 'know' them. Simon is quite 'laddish' in a group, he was totally different when it was just the three of us.

I've watched a few Peter Hurley videos, mainly about head shots, and the 'squinch' - that helped as Simon was a bit expressionless at times. Mostly I positioned them where I needed them and just said 'do your thing' (i said "no not THAT thing!!" the first time, and they laughed. I managed to take a few shots, like #1 here).

I didn't say 'smile' just said look at bump, look my way, etc. and we talked throughout. I just captured how they were together. They were great at being themselves in front of camera. They are both very confident people.

Magda brought some props round, baby size trainers, letters to spell baby's name across her tummy, a chalkboard to write baby's name on - these probably fall into the 'banal' category. They hadn't shared any like this on Facebook at the time I posted the shots above, so none were included. They have since and the chalkboard ones I like, the others not so much.

I was really enjoying it as it was nice to shoot adults rather than my toddler son, or unwilling other half. Maybe they picked up on that, and that's come across in the shots, who knows...

 

[Serendipitous Sid]

I only had one shot I wanted to do planned, which was him kneeling to kiss her tummy (one I'd seen online and showed them as a possible option which they liked). I was going to look for others, but the day job went a bit crazy in the week between asking them if they wanted to do it and actually taking the shots, and I had no free time at all. Maybe that helped?

For sure it did. It's one thing to go into a shoot with other people's snaps in your head that you intend to do, but where many people go wrong is that they get stuck in that groove. They don't let go of what's in their head when better, more natural pictures present themselves.

Obviously you (generic) need a repertoire of fail-safe poses into which you can with any luck persuade even the most boring, lifeless buggers with some hope of them looking at least halfway decent. But AFAIC that's the emergency reserve, to be used only when, upon looking through the viewfinder for the umpteenth time, you still see no signs of life at all. The rest of the time, the best pictures come from simply tuning into the subject(s) and bouncing off them.

 

[ABTog]

I won't comment on the editing or lighting as it's pretty much all been said.
What you've done is captured them, in that funny, pre-baby, pregancy-almost-over season. And you've done it well, got some great expressions. In a studio setting, the lighting is a major technical aspect (that you've managed well), but the art comes in composing and capturing.
Nicely done.

 

[Morbid]

I won't comment on the editing or lighting as it's pretty much all been said.
What you've done is captured them, in that funny, pre-baby, pregancy-almost-over season. And you've done it well, got some great expressions. In a studio setting, the lighting is a major technical aspect (that you've managed well), but the art comes in composing and capturing.
Nicely done.

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated. They like the camera being on them (taking lots of selfies) so that might have helped a little too

 

[Dinsdale]

Number 6 for me all day!
Number 1 looks like he's ripping her clothes off, I'm afraid.