Maternity Session

[rub]

Had a client ask for something a little different. After seeing my Rock The Dress photos, she said she wanted to do a beach theme. When she showed up, all she had was 2 bikinis!! C&C is greatly appreciated.

1)

2)

3)

4)

 

[vegasvisionstudios]

#1 Feels awkward and her skin tone seems way to cold for a woman who is pregnant. Makes it feel like an on camera flash shot.

#2 is beautiful but I would like it even better if it were just a little wider view and if the silhouette were complete. The bits of visible detail are for me at least distracting. I would prefer to see her fully or that she just be a shadow.

#3 Connects with the viewer and her eyes really draw me in because I can see the wonder of pregnancy in them. This is my favorite of the bunch

#4 This one just does not work for me. The angle and perspective are not flattering to her at all and there are just too many over exposed highlights. Also the shadow falling across her looks strange and actually looks like it could be your shadow. Maternity is soft, sensual and intimate and this shot does not convey any of these emotions to me. Lowering your position and turning her a little on an angle and rolling a hip a bit toward the camera would have taken her off center axis and would have given her much softer more feminine curves that would flatter her while still showing off her beautiful baby bump.

 

[doogan]

I like your pictures a lot. I find that the poses,
composition, and expressions are very good.

I photoshopped this one, tell me what you think.
- Regards, Bob
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[Sn00bies]

doogan I like your rendition a lot, but I don't think the blown out parts are working. Perhaps add a curves layer mask to pull down the highlights, leaving the other properly exposed parts alone, could help? It might make unnatural looking light, but I've had success with it at least. That way you don't have to make the properly exposed parts darker with an overall negative exposure compensation.

From first glance at the eyes, it seems like you sharpened them up, and they looked good... but the more I look at them the more fake plastic/glass they look, particularly the left eye. This might just be personal preference, but I'd play around with lessening the sharpening. Some people dig the super sharp eyes though. I'd give my own rendition of this if it weren't for lack of time :/ Newborn babies can do that to you.

 

[camz]

I agree with Bobby. #3 is the best among the series. It shows involvment of the word "maternity" in her facial expression and the visibility of her pregnancy in the shot. She's a beautiful woman and I think her freckles are just adorable. However I found the image a bit blown out on the edges and especially her left arm. So I did a rendition where I reduced exposure on the highlights and masked her left her arm stepping down the brightness a bit. I also added some umph to the sharpness and added a slight vignette...just my preference tho.

 

[doogan]

Camz, that left arm was bothering me too. I like what you did,
if I knew more about photoshop I would have done that too.
_______________________________________________
http://www.dreamworldimages.ca
Pet Photography Business
Child Photography

 

[Breanna]

What a gorgeous maternity session! 1 is too cool and is more "headshot" than maternity for me. 2 is nice, but I agree with the previous poster- I think you need to make the siloutte complete. The background also feels like it could use a levels boost. I think it needs to be lighter to better compliment the siloutte. 3 is fab, but I like the warmer edit. 4 is my personal favorite of the bunch. Its the only one where you see all of the belly! I'm sure you got more of her belly, right? I would like to see those ones I guess I feel like these 4 images are more about her and her face and less about the pregnancy.

 

[camz]

Camz, that left arm was bothering me too. I like what you did,
if I knew more about photoshop I would have done that too.

Thanks doogan. I tried to go the route you did and take out her freckles out but I just thought they were adorable.

 

[rub]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I can understand all of the comments and concerns, and I will work hard at remembering them for my next shoot.

I think there are more "her" shots than "maternity" shots, but there are definatley lots of belly shots I haven't processed yet - these were just the first random ones I grabbed.

I like both of the edits - I think that facebook pretty well destroys the look of an image, but I know my edits can sure use some tweeking. I appreciate both of your suggestions.

Cheers,
Kristal

 

[camz]

Kristal - here's one with no freckles that we talked about. Just took out the major ones..

 

[customphotoprops]

Gorgeous!! You rocked it! What a pretty mamma too!

 

[Nikkor]

I loved these! My only concern would be with #3, it doesn't seem like a maternity picture to me. Her belly isn't really an immediate sight. But other than that, these are incredible! I can't believe she's so brave to wear bikinis that pregnant! Bravo!

 

[RPetterson]

As a mom I would of loved these! I am saying this from a client point of view... clients don't see all the little things that everyone else does on here I think that she is so pretty and the shots are just perfect the way you did them.

 

[PhotoXopher]

Beautiful work, well done. The only nitpick I have is the necklace.. in the last one adds a weird V to her chin and another it shows the clasp.

Thank you for not doing that 'hands into a heart shape' photo!

 

[t00sl0w]

nice work man, i really like the first one....i like her expression, and how close you are to her....her eyes convey a lot in that picture,in my opinion. i almost feel like she is about to say something