Newborn photo shoot

[Sweetsomedays]

BTW...I had to do a shoot in someones home and had to have my lights 3 feet from them. They are on my flickr site. You CAN control your light more. I am just portfolio building right now not a full on pro so I am sure there are faults that can be found in my photos as well.

 

[Teresa]

edit #3 is supposed to look noisy...it was edited to look that way.

i have slave lights and there arent any controls on them to turn them down or turn them up, etc.
i have angeled them up, down, all around (ha ha), and I have lowered and highered them and still get the SAME look in all my photos.
i have even had a PRO (www.genophotography) come out while she was here and help and she got the same look as they used to be her studio slave lights

 

[Sweetsomedays]

Link doesn't work (even with a .com after it)

I don't know what slave lights are
Then I suggest getting new lights. I slave my SB800 and SB600 but I still have to adjust the settings for exposure.

 

[Teresa]

www.genophotography.com

there it works for me...maybe you typed it in wrong

slave lights are studio lights that flash when they are triggered by an on camera flash or any other flash near by

 

[emogirl]

well, i guess i will reiterate what everyone else said....you need to use a 'flat' fabric, something without sheen, and something that doesnt wrinkle like that.

-move your subject further away from the backgrund....even in the tight situation you were in, you could have moved further away.

-the pearls around the neck look like she's being strangled and the feathers thing would have worked had they been white..purple does not work and the black and white version, the baby looks dead, sorry....
-watch your exposure, many are overexposed out of the camera

on the good side, there are a few good shots and you are on the right track, the shot with the feet, in b&w is fantastic, nice and crisp and will be cherished by the parents

-i think you are overusing the diffuse glow...try toning it down and using a gaussian blur with it

the 4th one of the edited shots, is beautiful....but really, get rid of the diffuse glow and it will be a winner! it would also be nice in b&w

keep working at it!

 

[Sweetsomedays]

Oh k, like Alien Bee's.

 

[Teresa]

the parents wanted a satin background. they had the fabric and wanted to use it so i used it for them. not my fault they didnt iron it or flip it to the other side where the sheen wasnt so shiny.

there are 2 backdrops i have are only about 4 yards long (12 feet) and all the ones in these photos posted so far are only 6 ft long so the further i moved them from the backdrop the more floor i would've captured and not the backdrop...
i asked the parents what color they wanted and they said purple feathers so i got the purple feather boa...they didnt want pink as they think it is too girly
and thanks for the good comments and critiques

 

[bellacat]

i know you are working with you had but considering you are in someone's home it would have made a huge difference to take the extra time and break out the iron. It will save you tons of time PP.

 

[dpolston]

www.genophotography.com

there it works for me...maybe you typed it in wrong

slave lights are studio lights that flash when they are triggered by an on camera flash or any other flash near by

The absolute last thing I want to do here is jump on this negative bandwagon but I have to. I really think that buying a book or two on lighting will make all the difference in the world.

Secondly (and the critique I hate to even type) is your friend (according to the photos on her site) is not all that good. The photos I saw on there are either over exposed, over processed or just not all that good at all. The posing on a lot of those photos is just plain not flattering and well thought out. Not that I am going to tear her apart (because I don't have the right to do that) but her work needs just as much research and practice. She might sell a bunch of product and that's great, but I'm not blown away by any of it.

PLEASE don't get me wrong. Shot, shoot, shoot that little camera until it falls apart then buy another one (try a DLSR for more versatile options). I would get a better handle on the basics before I tried anything else. Stay away from the studio stuff until you get a better handle on the exposer issues that are out there. If you do want to practice the studio stuff, have everyone in the shot walk 2 more feet away from the backdrop and by all means, don't use shiny cloth and iron it well. For babies, use more muted colors for the backdrops - not primary colors. There is a lot to it and I just don't have the time to talk about it.

If you want to learn this kind of photography, it's going to take some time to learn. Post your EDITED photos and post YOUR photos, not what the mom did. Just learn it, study it, love it. If you think folks are being unkind to you through their posts (I know it's hard to not take it personally and I know some of the posts were personal and I do not agree on the tone either... but that's another issue) read what they say and then put it out of your mind. Some of the people here are incredible photographers that make a lot of money doing it and frankly, most of them are holding back on their opinions! I sugar coat mine most of the time because I'm worried of hurting people's feelings.

I don't think your work is bad on every level. I think you have potential but I think you really need to take a deep breath, relax and get back to the basics.

David

 

[Teresa]

thanks david

as to you bellacat...i am not going to be rude to the parents and say "hey can i use your iron because your fabric sucks and is all wrinkly and will make the photo look like crap on a log"

 

[Sweetsomedays]

You will do your clients a disservice by letting them dictate how the shoot goes. You could of said something like "Oh my goodness this material is beautiful, could we run an iron over it real quick just to smooth out the wrinkles? It will look wonderful in the photos"

 

[dpolston]

thanks david

as to you bellacat...i am not going to be rude to the parents and say "hey can i use your iron because your fabric sucks and is all wrinkly and will make the photo look like crap on a log"

I need to comment here too...

If it were me photographing the child (and I have) and the parents want something special (and they do... always!), I have the right and duty as the professional that they hired, to tell them that this [the shot or item that they have] might not look well on the page once it's printed.

Why? I think that if I do not take the lead and absolute control (and I'll toot my own horn here, I have been told on many occasions that I am the most respectful, kind and professionally composed photographer that they have ever seen) over the situation, I would fail at my job.

If a surgeon were to do a consult with his patient for the removal of an unnecessary organ and that patient said to him "Here, please use my exacto knife, I just had it sharpened" instead of the scalpel of the doctor would use, I think the doctor would fail his patient.

It is our responsibility and ultimately our images out there for the public to see. I do not want my work tainted by someone that doesn't know what they're doing. I have gone as far as to tell someone before (when I was younger and took every job that came my way) that I would shoot something BUT do not tell anyone that's my work and if I'm ask, I'll deny ever shooting it in the first place.

This is ultimately your product... your image... your portfolio. Don't settle for substandard work as the sake of pleasing "Momsey and Pop-cicle" (A Wicked reference - great musical by the way).

David

 

[bellacat]

as to you bellacat...i am not going to be rude to the parents and say "hey can i use your iron because your fabric sucks and is all wrinkly and will make the photo look like crap on a log"

I completely agree with what both david and Sweetsomedays

You are not being rude in the least. If someone is hiring you and giving you money to take their photo then they deserve the best possible result you can give them. You are the photographer have every right to make suggestions and by all means tell them how the session will go. If you use the right tone and words they would not be offended in the least and will be glad that you take the extra effort to be sure the photos come out fabulous.

 

[Allsmiles7282]

thanks david

as to you bellacat...i am not going to be rude to the parents and say "hey can i use your iron because your fabric sucks and is all wrinkly and will make the photo look like crap on a log"

Take your own stuff. problem solved.

 

[dpolston]

Take your own stuff. problem solved.

Yeah... what she said.

(I have boxes of stuff all over the place of stuff! It's a sickness really carried over from my theater days - I'm an old set designer and builder)