My newborn neice is here! *large share*

[Aayria]

I've been following my sister in law around with the camera constantly, it seems lol!

You saw baby Josephine last month from her mommy's belly....

To her delivery, my first chance at birth photography....

Now, here she is! These are a few shots from her newborn session last weekend =)

* I don't know what it is...I'm feeling a bit discouraged with these to be honest. Yes, the baby is adorable (aunty goggles!) so that helps.. But I was so excited with the results of my sister in law's maternity shoot, and then the birth photography that I was totally on cloud nine. I felt like my work was really growing FINALLY! But now.. after this newborn session...it feels like I went totally backwards again. (seems to be a theme with newborn shoots, oye.) There were *maybe* two shots I actually liked, but I see so much wrong with all of these. Maybe you guys can help? There are color casts and blown patches of skin that I'm having a terrible time finding let alone correcting...and lots of other weirdness in these.

Harsh C&C would be appreciated, as well as tips for how you think I might be able to do better next time. Is it my editing that's making them worse? If you want to see any SOOC's let me know and I'll try to get back and post them this afternoon. Lighting on all of these was from their living room window directly behind me, and my 5 light softbox camera left or right.*

 

[dannystoria]

I LOVED your photos. You should be really proud of the awesome shots you got. I did a photo session about 2 weeks ago and the baby was fussy the WHOLE time. It was horrible. No good shots. I love yours!!:mrgreen:

 

[ShawnaD]

These photos are beautiful. I'm a newbie, but I think you're being a little too hard on yourself. I love the close up of her in the white hat and the one of her in the pink hat. Great job!

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Only issues I have is the clipped off hats/decorations. Other than that I think these are awesome!

 

[Aayria]

Thanks guys =)

I know it seems like I'm being very critical, but I've found it to be the only way to grow. I could just be happy that my sister in law and others love these pictures, but I don't want to settle. I have to keep pushing, and am determined to keep at this despite how frustrating it can be at times.

I love it though, I love the challenge and the excitement of when things really start to click =) It just seemed like I was making a lot of mistakes with this session that I *thought* I had overcome by now, argh!

The main thing (in addition to the close cropping/cutting as misstwinklytoes pointed out) is that I think these are too "busy." For my next newborn session, I'm going to focus on simplicity.

 

[Derrel]

I was going to ask, "Are there any shots of just the baby, without all the props?" but I see you have noticed that these are a bit busy....they are kind of in the style of many people who photograph newborns, but honestly, the flowers look way too big and overpowering, as do the hats...which might be from some Etsy vendor specializing in....hats!!!!

I dunno....what's the baby's hair like? Does she have a lot of hair? Can't see her head very much. Exposures and color look very nice. I think you're on a good trajectory.

 

[bigtwinky]

In all honesty, they are very nice pictures. Not my style, but for the style they are in, I think many new mothers would love to have these.

As mentionned, there are issues with clipped props, and would be nice to show more of the baby than the props, but overall, nicely done. I like the exposure and colour in many of these.

Different style that the BW maternity and delivery shots you posted up, which are more up my alley.

 

[Aayria]

In all honesty, they are very nice pictures. Not my style, but for the style they are in, I think many new mothers would love to have these.

As mentionned, there are issues with clipped props, and would be nice to show more of the baby than the props, but overall, nicely done. I like the exposure and colour in many of these.

Different style that the BW maternity and delivery shots you posted up, which are more up my alley.

You know, bigtwinky.. I think that's another thing. The black and white labor/deliver pictures, and the maternity pictures were SO much more fun for me, too. I think that what I'm feeling is the most off in these. I spent this session doing the style that I see every other baby photographer on the internet doing...but I don't think that's "my" style, you know? Big hats, flowers, and props are fun...cute..and have their place, but I don't think that's me at all.

Lots to think about..but I think my main goal for a while is going to be simplicity and light. It's a confidence issue. I need to have confidence in my work without all the props and extras to carry it.

 

[Christie Photo]

Huh?



I'm not sure what the hell I'm missing here. There are a couple of very nice portraits here.

(I wish you numbered them... would've made this a bit easier.)

I don't know why we're talking about "clipped off hats." These are not photos of hats. If you want photos of hats, send them to me and I'll make all the photos of hats anyone could want.

The third photo of the baby... the one on black with the hat w/ears.... her hands up by her face... a very lovely portrait.

The sixth of the baby... with the large pink flower... very nice. I wish I did it.

I'm sure there's is a bit of tweaking you can do with cropping and framing, but for the love of Mike, you made some very lovely images.

You shouldn't expect every image in a session to be amazing. When you do a session like this one, where you have more than one worthy of a wall print, be very satisfied.

-Pete

 

[Aayria]

Huh?



I'm not sure what the hell I'm missing here. There are a couple of very nice portraits here.

(I wish you numbered them... would've made this a bit easier.)

I don't know why we're talking about "clipped off hats." These are not photos of hats. If you want photos of hats, send them to me and I'll make all the photos of hats anyone could want.

The third photo of the baby... the one on black with the hat w/ears.... her hands up by her face... a very lovely portrait.

The sixth of the baby... with the large pink flower... very nice. I wish I did it.

I'm sure there's is a bit of tweaking you can do with cropping and framing, but for the love of Mike, you made some very lovely images.

You shouldn't expect every image in a session to be amazing. When you do a session like this one, where you have more than one worthy of a wall print, be very satisfied.

-Pete

It wouldn't let me click "thank" so I wanted to say it here.. Thank you for the kind words =)

 

[Christie Photo]

It wouldn't let me click "thank" so I wanted to say it here.. Thank you for the kind words =)

No thanks necessary. And it's more than just kind words. I'm truly baffled about what more you might have done. Good goin'!

-Pete

 

[DanFinePhotography]

Really like these #4 seems to be my personal favorite even though looks a tad overexposed. The watermark seems a little distracting to me also, maybe a tad too large ?

 

[bigtwinky]

In all honesty, they are very nice pictures. Not my style, but for the style they are in, I think many new mothers would love to have these.

As mentionned, there are issues with clipped props, and would be nice to show more of the baby than the props, but overall, nicely done. I like the exposure and colour in many of these.

Different style that the BW maternity and delivery shots you posted up, which are more up my alley.

You know, bigtwinky.. I think that's another thing. The black and white labor/deliver pictures, and the maternity pictures were SO much more fun for me, too. I think that what I'm feeling is the most off in these. I spent this session doing the style that I see every other baby photographer on the internet doing...but I don't think that's "my" style, you know? Big hats, flowers, and props are fun...cute..and have their place, but I don't think that's me at all.

Lots to think about..but I think my main goal for a while is going to be simplicity and light. It's a confidence issue. I need to have confidence in my work without all the props and extras to carry it.

I'm struggling with the same things myself. Trying to find a mix of what I like to do vs what people want...but the more I shoot, the more I enjoy doing things my way. The more I enjoy my shoot, the better I like my results.

Photography is not my main career, so I am lucky in that I can take the time to try and find my style without having to work for a paycheck, where sometimes, I'd be doing things the client's way to ensure I can put bread on the table at the end of the week.

You do some great work. Keep doing what you are doing, keep being yourself.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

. I spent this session doing the style that I see every other baby photographer on the internet doing...but I don't think that's "my" style, you know? Big hats, flowers, and props are fun...cute..and have their place, but I don't think that's me at all.

*gasp*

You mean you are NOT gonna follow the style that everyone else is doing, because it sells?

Them is some bold words chica!




:thumbup:Good for you!

:hugs:

 

[Derrel]

It wouldn't let me click "thank" so I wanted to say it here.. Thank you for the kind words =)

No thanks necessary. And it's more than just kind words. I'm truly baffled about what more you might have done. Good goin'!

-Pete

I think it's more about doing "less", as in less propping,and more baby...she doesn't seem to feel that these represent her own,true style. In fact they look a LOT like Anne Geddes, the master of cliche. The pictures Geddes has become (in)famous for are very "cutesy"...kitschy,really. These hats sold through Etsy are reaching epic proportions; the shot of the baby on black is dominated by a huge hat, made specifically for a baby to be photographed in, and sold off the web to mothers-to-be...

I can see why one photographer might feel like these types of shots do not represent the type of work she wishes to be known for, since it seems that somewhere between 85 and about 95% of newborn photogs of the female gender are emulating Anne Geddes right down to the specific props, poses, colors, and lighting schemes...it all looks very contrived and highly stylized. Not that it is not widely accepted, but it does look, well...contrived and very much of an era...it's not timeless, it's not classic, it's not retro...it's ANNE GEDDES on steroids...

Again, not that there's anything wrong with Anne Geddes...but this is an awful lot like the ringlight shots that the Model Mayhem crew does over and over and over, as if a round catchlight with a big black dot in it "makes" the photography look "pro". There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. When the baby takes uop 20% of the frame,and the props are the remaining 80%, the balance has, IMHO, gone far too far toward the propping of the shot,and it's less about the baby than about the Etsy hat and the Etsy headband and the Etsy flower on the headband,etc,etc.

Anne Geddes - Google Search