I'm a newbie: First C&C Post

[gsgary]

Regarding the flower - I agree that the flower is way too big, but the mom bought the thing for the shoot and insisted on using it so I really couldn't say no. I have a few headband type things and the flowers are probably about 1/4 that size, or smaller.

I really like the damask patterns, they're pretty "in" right now. Seriously, go to the fabric store, it's hard to miss.

Who is Sabrina? Is she a good photographer or are you making fun of me? lol

Regarding skin tones - I have SO much trouble with my skin tones. They just never look "right" to me. Any advice for this?

I never make fun of anyone i am one of the most sincere posters on here

 

[gsgary]

I just looked at Sabrina's website. I like her style... apparently a little too much because I seriously have some of the same baskets, props, and blankets, LOL! I love her newborn portfolio, though. I'm definitely into cutesy stuff.

She spends hour in photoshop instead of getting the exposure correct in camera, if you aspire to this you are on the road to ruin

 

[MLeeK]

MLeek - Yeah, it's a bit too much. It's really all I had to work with at the moment, but I'll try not to incorporate so much "stuff" next time. Oh, and is there a rule about the lines of the basket and wood floor?

No, there is really not a RULE at all. Just watch all of your stripes and spots just like you would with clothing or anything else. The floor and the basket together might have been just fine without the background. I'd have probably placed the baby much further in front of the background so that the baseboard and the background were REALLY consumed with the shallow DOF so that the baseboard isn't still a draw. Just minimizing your things to catch the eye.

Regarding skin tones on an infant-learn to use the luminosity sliders to get the even, bright skin tone. You'll increase the luminosity on the reds oranges and yellows, sometimes the magentas too.

 

[MLeeK]

I maxed the luminosity of the reds out
The oranges +36
Yellows +18

 

[Tee]

I just wanted to say for five months, that's not too shabby of a job. I'm really trying to appreciate the whole baby photography niche but I can't get past the kid stuffed in a basket with the same baseboard in a lot of pictures these days. Did you guys all visit the same website for ideas?

 

[TooShay]

Tee - Thanks, that means a lot! I don't really have anyone locally that can REALLY critique my photos. Of course my friends are going to say "oh yay, these are amazing" but at some point I had to wonder what they were REALLY like, ya know? Newborn photography is such a strange niche. You have to love the cuteness of babies and of course it helps when they can't scoff at all of the strange props and backdrops, haha! Newborns are really challenging, that's why I like them. I don't know how else to explain it.

MleeK - Yes!! That looks much better. I'll have to work on using the luminosity sliders. Newborn skin is tough!

 

[MLeeK]

I only opened it up in Adobe Camera Raw (Lightroom does the same thing) and the only thing I touched was the HSL tab, the Luminosity.
Play with it for a while and you'll see what you can do. It's a pretty handy tool for a LOT of things!

 

[TooShay]

Thanks everyone for the help! I started playing around with the luminosity sliders and it really does make a big difference in my skin tones.

 

[KmH]

.......I seriously have some of the same baskets, props, and blankets, LOL! ............. I'm definitely into cutesy stuff.

You and 18,264 other newborn shooters out there.

Do you charge mom's to photograph their newborns?

 

[vtf]

A great start, some minor adjustments as stated above and you'll do well. I'm just glad we don't have to explain focusing and dof to you. Keep it coming.:thumbup:

 

[TooShay]

Keith - No, I've never charged for newborn sessions. I've only done two of them, just for friends. I pretty much offer photography sessions to friends and friends-of-friends for free for the purpose of building my skill and portfolio. I have charged people that I don't know, but only for gas money. I don't really have an idea of when I'd like to start charging people for services... I don't want to start charging until I'm confident in my abilities, which is not quite yet. I still have a lot of composition/technical rules to master. Compared to a lot of the "photographers" in my area, I'm alright, but I also don't consider them professionals. Though sometimes I wonder if people REALLY see the difference between someone who knows what they are doing and someone who just picked up a DSLR and decided to become a pro in the same day.

Vince - Thanks! Yeah, I pretty much know all of the basic stuff. I was enrolled in a photography program online and learned quite a bit. Although I wish I hadn't spent all that money on "college" courses when all of the information that I learned about was readily available online for free. Oh well... live and learn.

 

[MLeeK]

Keith - No, I've never charged for newborn sessions. I've only done two of them, just for friends. I pretty much offer photography sessions to friends and friends-of-friends for free for the purpose of building my skill and portfolio. I have charged people that I don't know, but only for gas money. I don't really have an idea of when I'd like to start charging people for services... I don't want to start charging until I'm confident in my abilities, which is not quite yet. I still have a lot of composition/technical rules to master. Compared to a lot of the "photographers" in my area, I'm alright, but I also don't consider them professionals. Though sometimes I wonder if people REALLY see the difference between someone who knows what they are doing and someone who just picked up a DSLR and decided to become a pro in the same day.

Vince - Thanks! Yeah, I pretty much know all of the basic stuff. I was enrolled in a photography program online and learned quite a bit. Although I wish I hadn't spent all that money on "college" courses when all of the information that I learned about was readily available online for free. Oh well... live and learn.

You are doing all of the right things there!!! Just make sure that your free clients know the value of what you are doing for them. Do your research and be prepared... If you were 100% confident of your ability and you knew that you were the best of the best THIS would be your price. By doing that you are putting a value on your work. Down the road when you ARE confident and you begin charging you won't have all of your friends going... "but you did it for so-and-so for free." AND! Make sure you are getting a signed model release for every shoot you do so that you can use the images in your portfolio down the road!!! You've set yourself up well for success!

 

[TooShay]

MLeeK - I think that's one of my main problems. I don't value my work so I don't expect my free clients to place value in it either. I know that I'm "okay" and that I'm better than most of the insta-photographers in my area, but I don't know what makes my ability "unique" or "amazing." I don't think I'm there yet. I have SO much that I want to learn and/or master, so it seems like I'm never going to be a "pro" - haha! However, I AM guilty of making a website to make myself feel better, complete with my future pricing... lol!

FYI - I'm totally open to tips and advice from the pros :-D

 

[MLeeK]

That's ok right now!! But what WILL your value be down the road when you ARE confident?
In order to do that you need to know your costs as well as how much value you put on your time and talent... It's tough to figure where you are at, but you can do it. I have a tutorial I wrote somewhere about determining your basic price. If you send me a note I'll try to find it when I get home tonight.

 

[TooShay]

I honestly have NO idea what my value will be. I think about it all the time and I try to calculate different things in my head, and I've even set pricing and told myself I was going to start charging, but then I go online and find a zillion other photographers that are better than I am, and I change my mind, haha! I know that I'm a terrible business person. I'd rather give away everything for free or next to nothing, even though I know that logically that business model doesn't work, lol! I definitely would like to see your tutorial, though. I wish I could upload my portfolio to some sort of photography decoding program (yes, I know these don't exist, just go with me here for a second...) and have it tell me how far I've come and WHEN it'll be time to do this professionally. Okay, I think I'm rambling... I'll send you a note as soon as I figure out how to and I'd really appreciate the link to the tutorial.