Maternity shoot C&C please

[ckboucher]

its taken me a while to figure out how to post pic to a thread. hope this works. Because I would really like feed back. here's a couple of them.
since I am so new to this any feedback would be helpful, but I would also like tips on how to get that soft fuzzy look on my pics?
thanks
Kim



yeah, still dont think i posted pics right. they are so small. ugh

 

[Robin Usagani]

Soft fuzzy look can be achieved with Fog effect filter OR post processing with computer software.

I think for a maternity shot you need to do more artistic shots. Do one in the dark with light only from her side slightly behind her. So all you can see is silhouette of her and some of her bum. Just an idea!

 

[pmsnel]

^+1
I don't really get the door thing...

 

[ckboucher]

Soft fuzzy look can be achieved with Fog effect filter OR post processing with computer software.

I think for a maternity shot you need to do more artistic shots. Do one in the dark with light only from her side slightly behind her. So all you can see is silhouette of her and some of her bum. Just an idea!

great. well right now I have to basic SLR. no extra equipment. so I am having to rely upon my software. which i am still learning too. how would I achieve that look with software (Photoshop Elements)?

 

[ckboucher]

^+1
I don't really get the door thing...

lol, it's an idea I got from another photographer. I was going for a "peek a boo" belly shot. I kind of like it. but i do think I got too much of the door. could crop some out.

 

[Robin Usagani]

I dont have photoshop elements so i dont know what kind of things it can do. But you can go to youtube or google "dreamy effect photoshop". Basically you are combining a layer with blur, and a layer without blur and make the blurry one transparent a little and lighter.

 

[subscuck]

By soft, fuzzy look I'm thinking you mean soft focus. This can be done with a soft focus filter or in post by creating a duplicate layer, adding gaussian blur to it, then adjusting the opacity of the layer. I've gotten good results with this method, but it's kinda hit and miss. A filter is better. You should be able to do this with elements.

So, boy or girl?

 

[pmsnel]

^+1
I don't really get the door thing...

lol, it's an idea I got from another photographer. I was going for a "peek a boo" belly shot. I kind of like it. but i do think I got too much of the door. could crop some out.

Cropping out would be a start, but I think your stand point should have been a lot lower, when you want emphasize on the belly. The effect you are getting now is:
Look its a door with a woman behind it. Oh wait! She's pregnant.

Get on belly level and take the shot again with less door. Then it will make an interesting shot I think!

 

[flyingember]

I took a look at the flickr set and I have three comments

1. as a whole they're flat. I'm betting it was a cloudy day outside. A little fill flash outside at even partial power would have helped her stand out. The use of some kind of mood lighting be it a lamp or remote flash would help inside too. when you did use it I can tell it's on camera and it makes her look shiny, such as Picture 085_edited-1.

2. I'm missing as a whole the tight in shots at interesting angles. I really like Picture 077_edited-1 but none of the rest grab me in the same way. look at your angles more.

3. you took from a standing pose when she's standing or a sitting post when she's sitting most of the time. your best shots are when you weren't.

 

[ckboucher]

By soft, fuzzy look I'm thinking you mean soft focus. This can be done with a soft focus filter or in post by creating a duplicate layer, adding gaussian blur to it, then adjusting the opacity of the layer. I've gotten good results with this method, but it's kinda hit and miss. A filter is better. You should be able to do this with elements.

So, boy or girl?

thanks. I will try that.

its a boy!!

 

[ckboucher]

^+1
I don't really get the door thing...

lol, it's an idea I got from another photographer. I was going for a "peek a boo" belly shot. I kind of like it. but i do think I got too much of the door. could crop some out.

Cropping out would be a start, but I think your stand point should have been a lot lower, when you want emphasize on the belly. The effect you are getting now is:
Look its a door with a woman behind it. Oh wait! She's pregnant.

Get on belly level and take the shot again with less door. Then it will make an interesting shot I think!

ok, thanks for the tip!! great idea

 

[subscuck]

Quick edit on a small file, but is this kinda what you're looking for?

 

[ckboucher]

I took a look at the flickr set and I have three comments

1. as a whole they're flat. I'm betting it was a cloudy day outside. A little fill flash outside at even partial power would have helped her stand out. The use of some kind of mood lighting be it a lamp or remote flash would help inside too. when you did use it I can tell it's on camera and it makes her look shiny, such as Picture 085_edited-1.

2. I'm missing as a whole the tight in shots at interesting angles. I really like Picture 077_edited-1 but none of the rest grab me in the same way. look at your angles more.

3. you took from a standing pose when she's standing or a sitting post when she's sitting most of the time. your best shots are when you weren't.

great advice. thanks. I need this imput.

 

[ckboucher]

Quick edit on a small file, but is this kinda what you're looking for?

yes!! ok, so you did that with the layers and blur?

 

[subscuck]

yes!! ok, so you did that with the layers and blur?

Yeah. I have CS4, but I'm guessing PSE can do this as well. Open your pic, Ctrl J to create duplicate layer, under filter tab select Gaussian Blur. When the box opens, adjust the Radius with the slider. I use anywhere from 4-16, depends on the pic. For this one, 9 worked pretty well, but like I said, quick edit and it's a small file. Apply filter, then kick down the opacity. This is done by eye, I usually go anywhere from 40%-60%, depends where it looks best. Sharpening beforehand may sound counter-intuitive, but it will preserve the details when you add the blur layer. An unsharpened pic with blur layer just looks like, well, a blurry pic.