baby bum

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 10, 2008

n/m sorry. its just bad. lol

OK I changed my mind. Even bad pictures need CC!! I asked my friend to shoot her newborns SORRY not newborns, they are 2 months old (just *still* practicing portfolio building!) and it went easy and hard. They would not sleep at the same time, and I stayed there for 6 hours. (not 6 hours of shooting! but just hanging..) And they seemed to alternate on crying too. So when one was crabby, the other wasn't etc... I think my IDEAS were good, and I had good intentions going in.. but I'm just picking up every last thing I could have done better on these. I didn't even want to share because I didn't feel they are awesome.. but hey. Would rather share and get some feedback on what I can do better next time than just sulk lol.
So I just have 4 for right now... I have about 60 to edit. I'm glad to see that of 120, I got 60 I feel are editable

1.

2.

3.

4. (the original that I didn't want to share!!)

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 10, 2008

changed my mind! going to share

Jeff Canes · Jun 10, 2008

IMO #2 came out good, just keep trying

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 11, 2008

Thank you! Would love more feedback

maytay20 · Jun 11, 2008

Be careful chopping off body parts. That is my nit pick about #1, Other than that I love #1. 2 and 3 I like except for the crops just look weird to me like they should either be zoomed in more or no body parts chopped off. I like #4 I just wish the baby's hand wasn't oof it just makes it look misshapen. And maybe play with your B&W conversions more in ps to make them pop more. You did great though baby's that age are hard to do.
If you wanted sleeping photos they need to be younger here is a photographer that inspired me and you can notice in some of the pics the baby has his belly button on still that means it is around or under 2 -3 weeks old.
http://duckling.smugmug.com/gallery/1921722#P-2-15
This one the baby is a little older but is awake too:
http://www.ducklingphoto.com/proof/sample/jenna/index.htm
These are a few pages I look to every once in a while for inspiration.

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 11, 2008

The body parts thing couldn't be helped.. I wish it could have, because I am still learning my 50mm prime. I can't believe how much I have to back up to get in a photo. I was standing on a chair on my tiptoes trying to get them in the picture, and couldn't get them all in, especially with the flailing limbs everywhere. (well except 3... that cropping was done on purpose.)

I feel like newborns are actually much easier to shoot. These babies were 2 months old and they would only sleep in their mother's arms and tried as we might, they would wake right up screaming if we laid them down on the set up.

Thanks for those links and your comment- going to check them out now!

maytay20 · Jun 11, 2008

No problem I feel you with trying to get used to how a lens works. I think newborn are easier also. They are my favorite subject to photograph. A friend of my moms is having twins and I so hope she will let me photograph them when they are born. Try having them mom have a black or white (I prefer black) piece of fleece about 4 yards long in between her and the baby as they fall asleep then when they are asleep cover everything you can see on the mom that way she can hold them and you still have a decent solid backdrop. She can also sit on the floor and that will help you get the distance you need for your 50mm. They are really sharp and I love the baby's eyes in #1. I can't wait to get a 50mm. another pose idea for when they are sleeping is have mom hold them and have their feet hanging off from mom focus the their feet and have their face / body out of focus in the background.

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 11, 2008

Thank you, those are great ideas

I just asked my friend if I could come back and reshoot soon, and she said of course. So I'm going to make a list of things I need to do next time.. I think a LIST will really help me because in the moment, I forget everything

clickityclick · Jun 11, 2008

I think these are beautiful, My friend is due her first baby anyday now so I will be taking the advise of posters and getting the photographs while the little one is still a newborn! What way did you light these?

~Stella~ · Jun 11, 2008

clickityclick said:
I think these are beautiful, My friend is due her first baby anyday now so I will be taking the advise of posters and getting the photographs while the little one is still a newborn! What way did you light these?

Be sure you put baby on something waterproof! :lol:

I just took some of my own new baby (see http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125021) and was pretty pleased with how easy it was to pose her at this age....I need to do another session before she starts staying awake for too long, now that her belly button is more presentable!

_____________________

Kelly, love the sharpness of the eyes in #1. Try pulling - or having someone else tug the blanket under the bottom eye down, so you get a clearer view of the face - I found it made a big difference getting that blankie fuzz away from the face a just little bit more.

#2 is very cute - I know that getting two babies to look at you at the same time is almost impossible. Maybe if you could brighten up the eyes on the baby on the right?

#3 - I'm not sure I like what the blanket is doing on the right side. Baby is nice and clear, though....I might try to do a creative crop and maybe focus in more on baby's face?

#4 - Love that little booty! Would have been nice if baby was sleeping peacefully, I'm sure. The bottom showing the edge of the basket and smooshed up blanket doesn't really do it for me, since you don't see the basket on the top as well (does that make any sense?). It isn't perfect, but Mom will treasure it anyway.

I have to say these are really pretty babies - I hope you get a chance to work again with them and I look forward to seeing your efforts. They have beautiful eyes - do you have any more showing their faces close up?

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 11, 2008

Hi Stella!
I appreciate your commenting. I'm going back in 2 weeks to work with them again, I swear I'm writing this stuff down! I'm also going to use a bean bag, and try to get more creative with the basket.

They are cuties... want to see SOOC? (just picked a random one) Their faces are sooo red/magenta (because of their age and also because it was HOT that morning) that b/w was my only choice as color correction was really tough. They also had quite a bit of baby acne that went away with the conversion to b/w.

These were lit by 2 big sliding doors to the left.