First Maternity Shoot - C&C Please

[TimeSlidesBy]

Comments/Critiques Please. Photos from my first maternity shoot (well first shoot with my SLR - D60). I did a little editing to soften her skin up and change the block colors with Photoshop.
Thanks!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

[250Gimp]

Pretty shots, you can't beat the "Glow" of an axpecting mother!

Unfortunately all the shots are soft or slightly out of focus, which ruins the them for me.

Cheers

 

[rubbertree]

you have photoshop?
Crop out the distracting things in the background like the telephone pole and street signs. Also, see if you can sharpen the images up, they are very soft, or out of focus.

 

[TimeSlidesBy]

Here are my original photos. No Photoshop editing. I might have went a tad overboard on the softening, especially in the face. I had planned to try and get rid of the telephone pole.
#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

[chrisburke]

yea the edits are WAYYY to soft

 

[GeneralBenson]

I think you should ignore anything I say, because I think pregnancy is not attractive, and boy is she bursting. But I feel like maybe she's too pregnant for portraits, and maybe a month ago would have been better. Nothing you can do about that. I think the warm side/back light on her hair look really good, but having her belly in the shade on those pictures just makes it look wicked cool and pale in comparison, especially since peoples stomaches are usually paler anyways. Maybe like a CTO'd strobe as an off camera fill, or something.

 

[LaFoto]

To my mind, exposing herself in someone's (her own) front garden, with the street in sight, does not befit her situation, I think photos of exposed pregnant stomachs belong into studio or indoors situations, but maybe that's only me...

She looks forced and unhappy in her lying position with the name of her daughter on her stomach. We cannot see how she keeps herself in that position, back, legs, arms, all disappear, but there is loads of headroom, all the same. Looks unbalanced ... and like I am saying: she looks unhappy and uncomfortable, smiling through (seemingly) gritted teeth.

The originals look a lot better than the softened-up versions. Her skin doesn't look like it would need to be softened, at all. She is still so young, and without any blemishes, so unless you had her posed in very soft, white, transperent clothing in more dreamlike surroundings, I feel that softening does not go with the clothes she's wearing and the place you have chosen for your photography.

 

[youbetcha1018]

Lovely photos of a soon to be mom and a soon to be dad. I like the 2nd one. Lovely couple.

 

[maytay20]

I like most of them. I have a problem with #3 because of the background. and #4 because she looks uncomfortable. I would stay away from the softening and try more healing on her belly. And coming from a mom's perspective this is the PERFECT time to take photos! This is what she wants to remember!

 

[ANDS!]

Seconded or thirded on the background/setting really taking away from this. It doesn't look like a "shoot" so much as "Here's some shots of mom."

I would see if you could try again, maybe put mom in something white for all the shots, the black sports bra/shorts combo not working it. If they have a baby room, or something set up there, try photographing mom there.

 

[nyamy]

from another mom's perspective, thats not what I'd want to remember. personally, I would prefer shots a month or two earlier, when imo, pg is beautiful. too early looks fat and bloated, too late looks uncomfortable. but that's just me. I think if your subject feels that this is the time she wants captured in film (or digitally), then its the right time.
and I like the shots before softening too

also agree about indoor shots with exposed belly