First Maternity Photoshoot, getting ready for another HELP!

[AliasPros]

Ok people, here is one of my first shoots with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L and Sigma 10-20mm wide angle on my XTI toss around camera. I like shooting this one in the beach and around water in case I drop it so I will likely use it for my next upcoming shoot. I am not happy with my results being that I am so inexperienced and I am getting ready to do another maternity shoot very soon so please feel free to rip these apart so I can learn anything.

Thanks!

ALIAS

Pic #1

Pic #2

Pic #3

Pic #4

Pic #5

Pic #6

Pic #7

 

[FlickerLight]

They seem a little unnatural. It does not seem as though she is genuinely excited or happy, and maybe she was a little nervous about the whole thing.

Be careful of locking elbows. I noticed it quite a few time. A slight bend will do a lot to make her more fluid.

The top middle shot looks pretty good, all considering. I think it is nice use of the natural lighting. The bottom middle one is a nice concept, but again, locked elbows.

Nice start! Maybe take her out again if possible, and see if you can get her to loosen up a little. It may make taking pictures much easier.

 

[AliasPros]

Thanks, she did seem nervous, not sure how to loosen up your subject, guess it has to do with your presence. I need to work on that, thanks for the locked elbow advice very true! She already has had the baby and I will be shooting her baby's pics. The next shoot if of a totally different client, and looking to get as much advice before the shoot so thanks!

ALIAS

 

[timfrommass]

I think she looks uncomfortable because those positions are not easy or natural for a woman in her condition. That's the first thing I thought of when I saw these, is "why is a pregnant woman sprawled over some rocks". I think the lighting and exposure on the last 4 is pretty darn good, but outside of the last one she never looks quite right

-tim

 

[AliasPros]

Hmmm... maybe I should pick up a maternity clothing catalog for some natural looking poses, they always seem to be posed natural and perfectly however they are professional models! LOL Thanks keep em comin'.

ALIAS

 

[Big Mike]

why is a pregnant woman sprawled over some rocks

I was thinking the same thing....and I think that may have something to do with her uncomfortable expression.

The first two look very underexposed...especially when they are next to the rest of the set.

When shooting in direct sunlight light this, you are dealing with hard/harsh light, and high light ratios.

I'd suggest using some sort of fill light. A flash might work (but you'd need a powerful one, to fight the sunlight) but a simple reflector would also do. Have someone stand just out of the frame, holding the reflector to bounce some light back onto her shadowed side.

 

[robertwsimpson]

ahhahahaha I love the last one. good stuff.

 

[Derrel]

I dunno...I though 3,4,5,6,and 7 were reasonably well done photos. The first two are definitely underexposed. I thought your exposures in the shots 3-7 were perfect--just wonderful exposures! The ocean itself is providing the fill lighting---even though sunlight at that time of day would *normally* be high-ratio lighting, in this case it is not high-ratio lighting, due to the tremendously large amount of fill light that the sand and the ocean surface provides.

Shots 3 and 5 show beautiful shadow detail, and beautifully pegged highlight values, and I like the way you used the lens at long focal length and 18 foot or so shooting distance to create shallow depth of field, subduing the background behind her.

If you do another shoot outdoors that is not near the seashore, you might need some fill lighting, unless you're also working on light sand or really light-colored cement, or near buildings that reflect the skylight and fill-in the shadows.

 

[AliasPros]

Derrel, thanks for the input! FYI she picked the location! LOL I like the fill light reflector, gotta get me one as my car windshield shade looks too tacky! LOL

ALIAS

 

[clbd39]

they are all neat photos however as a group, she's hardly looking at the camera, that just kinda bugs me...

no belly shots?

 

[AliasPros]

they are all neat photos however as a group, she's hardly looking at the camera, that just kinda bugs me...

no belly shots?

Thanks, and no as you can see she was already really shy and a little uncomfortable, a belly shot was out of the question, I see them in a lot of people portfolios too! Oh well maybe in the next shoot I am preparing for...

 

[AliasPros]

I just realized that I cropped her hand out of pic #6! Would have been much better with her hand in it I think!

ALIAS
(Rookie)