My first baby shoot that I feel like I nailed it!! CC please

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Here is a question... I have been re organizing my workflow and trying to make things easier. I organize what I want, then crop, then white balance, then exposure adjustments. Should I still do this OR eliminate the white balance step til AFTER I decide what preset to use (if I do choose to use one)

 

[MLeeK]

I have CS5 jut not on this computer. I think part of my issue is Im trying to do too much with light room. Yes I am def struggling with the white balance. Its funny bc I didn't have this issue before, its grown! I think I need to do basic stuff in Lightroom then bridge over to cs5 and I think I would have better luck working on just the person or just the background to achieve the colors I want.

Thanks! Kathy! Yes MLeek def has given phenominal advice! Do you have any tips on editing skin tones just by the numbers. I guess that is what I have been trying to do, key word trying. Like I said do you have any tips for me to overcome this white balance/skin tone rut i am in.... lol

CS5's adobe camera raw is the same editing engine as LR3. That was why I switched to CS5 for this one-so I could give you exact settings if I needed to. Skin tones on little babies is particularly tough. They don't always have the healthy, peachy skin tone that we think they should have, so don't get too frustrated with it. It will come. If you just google editing skin tones by number you'll find a lot of tutorials on it.
There's no such thing as too much in LR or ACR! It's just a matter of learning how to combine ALL of the editing panels to make the look work. I rarely touch the first panel that contains exposure, etc unless the image is under or over exposed. I start on the second panel: the curves. I generally use a medium contrast point curve and the parametric curve I use also adds a fair bit of my contrast. With jpeg's I don't use as much in the curves as I do in raw. The next panel down is sharpening and noise removal. When you are adjusting on this panel zoom to 100% and if you hold down the ALT key while you drag the sliders it will change the image so that you can see what you are having an effect on better. Then comes the HSL sliders. This is getting into a little more advanced editing of skin tones and I use it a LOT with babies. I increase the luminance on the reds and oranges so that they are lighter on them. Those are the basics, you can then get into some lens corrections and stuff on the last parts. Concentrate on those first sections for now and seeing how they change the image.

Here is a question... I have been re organizing my workflow and trying to make things easier. I organize what I want, then crop, then white balance, then exposure adjustments. Should I still do this OR eliminate the white balance step til AFTER I decide what preset to use (if I do choose to use one)

It depends on the presets. Some of them change the white balance, some do not. So, if the preset is recorded so that it adjusts the wb in some way it was king of useless to have adjusted it.
I'd probably do both. First aim for correct, then apply the preset you are using and double check/adjust the wb if needed.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Its skin tones in general that Im having issues with. Not just kiddos I am watching a bunch of tutoritals now. It'll give me something to do each at work when I have a 2hr break on a 4 1/2 hr shift... lol

 

[MLeeK]

Buy 3 lamps and shoot with studio light. But no flash, flash is not good for little children it is important. High iso is not problem. You have to find lamp with 1000 W and will be ok for start. Shoot on raw file format and will be ok.

???
Definitely do NOT use 1000w lamp with a baby!!!!!! That's a dangerous burn problem waiting to happen!!!!!
Funny how most professionals use flash with babies. What are you talking about?

 

[janineh]

???
Definitely do NOT use 1000w lamp with a baby!!!!!! That's a dangerous burn problem waiting to happen!!!!!
Funny how most professionals use flash with babies. What are you talking about?

I use natural light only. Just my preference.

 

[MLeeK]

???
Definitely do NOT use 1000w lamp with a baby!!!!!! That's a dangerous burn problem waiting to happen!!!!!
Funny how most professionals use flash with babies. What are you talking about?

I use natural light only. Just my preference.

Definitely the way to go if you have it!!! Big windows are a Godsend!

 

[Derrel]

I think the edited images look about right, as to what 'many people" would expect. The SOOC images look bland and same-same. As far as very powerful, high-Watt tungsten-halogen light...yeah, with a large diffusion panel (aka a scrim) suspended over the posing area, a very powerful quartz light like a 750 Watt Lowell Tota-lite would work pretty well, and that is the exact light that would be my choice for working with hot lights. I've used those before, and they are very bright and pretty easy to work with, and work GREAT with large diffusion panels!

Lowel T1102 Tota-Pak, Light Kit with Tota-light, 750W T1102

A Tota-lite and a large diffusion panel is, in effect, a big window. Only better; it's "adjustable"!!!