Ok here goes! Some C/C please!

Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
740
Reaction score
84
Location
South Range, WI
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
These are some photos from my cousin Jeni's maternity photoshoot! This was my first time doing maternity pics! When I say I'm a newbie I am a NEWWWWWWWBIE! lol!!

So my overall goal with these was to try to capture the happiness she had for being pregnant. I did find through my roll of pictures that she had a lot of fake smiles so it really narrowed down what I could chose from to edit.

Is vignette awful!?! Do a lot of people like it? I for some reason really like it! I know opnions will differ but I just wanted to state the reason why a few of these photos have it. Im a little on the addicted side and trying to not do it as much lol!

Photo 1)

Jeni18 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
What I like: I edited this picture in Picknic (yes I know I'm forcing myself to learn lightroom and doing much better with it) I like how I got the colors. I like how my barn room has this pinkish glow to it. I love the texture of the tree (hate the mess it has each fall! lol)
What I don't like: Her looking up in the sky. She wanted something that she was looking up as if she was pondering what life will be like in a few months. Maybe should have done a few more looking at camera?
What I want to learn: Diff exp? Diff color? I dont know this is where I want C/C...

Photo 2)

jeni17-1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what i like: I like the experssion in her face better then Photo 1. I really like the tree vs the barn. The textures.
what I dont like: The dress is too flowly.... Grandma bought it for her so it was a big deal to use in her photos.
What I want to learn: ANYTHING from you folks!

Photo 3)

jeni20 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what I like: I love how I actually natural got my background blurred out. I did not do anything as far as editing goes to get that.
what I dont like: I'm not too good at cloning. I wouldh ave like to have taken all the hairs off her bellie and smoothed out her skin more. (just don't know how, need to practice)
what I want to learn: to smooth skin and erase (clone out) hair

Photo 4)

Jeni11 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what I like: I love the rock pile itself! I like how the colors pop.
what I dont like: MY FIGHTING WITH LIGHTING!!! I placed her into the light and had it wash her face out. I also dont like the little bit of cellulite on her leg. But I already know thats a spot I need to work in, cloning.
what I need to learn: To position my subjects in better lighting. I probably should have gone BEHIND her and had her face me that way. She would not have had the sun on her face.

Photo 5
jeni19-1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what I like: I was going for that "older" feel of a photo. I dont really know how to explain what I wanted but I did achieve it slightly.
what I dont like: How her face is pixilated. Also would have liked her left hand to hold the bottom of the dress that way there was a better outline of her belly.
what I want to learn: To use brush strokes effectively to not have her face so granulated. Also maybe not over process? is that what caused it?


Well I guess on that note! I'm ready for some C/C. Hopefully I dont cry like a 4 yr old with a skinned knee ROFL!!! I wanna learn so let me have it! and if I ask you questions b/c I dont understand what your saying just be prepared for the questions rofl!!

Thanks!
becky
 
oh darnnit!! I thought I did the links correctly! :( sorry guys! Now in rush to head out of house to work :( I'll try again later. SORRY :(
 
C&C per req:

1. Not really fond of this; it's over-saturated and looks like over-use of the 'Clarify' or similar tools. The branches 'growing' out of her dont' add a lot either. The post doesn't really say 'materinity' to me since the 3/4 profile doesn't do anything to accentuate her belly. As a rule 'up the nose' shots are rarely attractive. Always try and be at eye-level with the subject. If you're going to show the subject looking at something, let the viewer see what that something is too.

2. This does not work at all IMO. The selective colouring is not well done and not appropriate. Your monochrome is very 'muddy' and needs a contrast increase so that here's more black and white and less grey. Again, the branches are growing out of her head.

3. Much better. The lighting is just a touch hot, but that can be dealt with in post. I would suggest cropping the very top of the image to remove the rolled up shirt, and perhaps just a touch of skin smoothing. For future reference, try and have the subject keep their fingers closer together.

4. Not bad; the whites are a bit hot hot with some minor blown areas, and deep shadow on her left side. The use of a speedlight just off camera right would have helped greatly here. Also consider the use of longer glass and larger apertures to reduce the sharpness of the background focus.

5. I see where you were going with this, and I think you did not a bad job, but... (There's always a 'but' right?) again you needed fill light on the face. The bra strap under her left arm should have been hidden as well. Also watch your composition; you have a lot of unused space image right.

Overall, they're a good start, but with room for improvement. Materinity shots are one of the exceptions to the 'don't shoot side on' "rule". The 3/4 profile usually doens't emphasize the condition sufficiently to achieve the desired effect. Watch your backgrounds; fences, houses, and such aren't usually good backgrounds.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John
 
These are some photos from my cousin Jeni's maternity photoshoot! This was my first time doing maternity pics! When I say I'm a newbie I am a NEWWWWWWWBIE! lol!!

So my overall goal with these was to try to capture the happiness she had for being pregnant. I did find through my roll of pictures that she had a lot of fake smiles so it really narrowed down what I could chose from to edit.

Is vignette awful!?! Do a lot of people like it? I for some reason really like it! I know opnions will differ but I just wanted to state the reason why a few of these photos have it. Im a little on the addicted side and trying to not do it as much lol!

Photo 1)

5930197843_c553a55f6c_b.jpg

Jeni18 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
What I like: I edited this picture in Picknic (yes I know I'm forcing myself to learn lightroom and doing much better with it) I like how I got the colors. I like how my barn room has this pinkish glow to it. I love the texture of the tree (hate the mess it has each fall! lol)
What I don't like: Her looking up in the sky. She wanted something that she was looking up as if she was pondering what life will be like in a few months. Maybe should have done a few more looking at camera?
What I want to learn: Diff exp? Diff color? I dont know this is where I want C/C...

Photo 2)

5930716960_0c66678701_b.jpg

jeni17-1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what i like: I like the experssion in her face better then Photo 1. I really like the tree vs the barn. The textures.
what I dont like: The dress is too flowly.... Grandma bought it for her so it was a big deal to use in her photos.
What I want to learn: ANYTHING from you folks!

Photo 3)

5930903951_4574bee00e_b.jpg

jeni20 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what I like: I love how I actually natural got my background blurred out. I did not do anything as far as editing goes to get that.
what I dont like: I'm not too good at cloning. I wouldh ave like to have taken all the hairs off her bellie and smoothed out her skin more. (just don't know how, need to practice)
what I want to learn: to smooth skin and erase (clone out) hair

Photo 4)

5925706887_c49b1d894b_b.jpg

Jeni11 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what I like: I love the rock pile itself! I like how the colors pop.
what I dont like: MY FIGHTING WITH LIGHTING!!! I placed her into the light and had it wash her face out. I also dont like the little bit of cellulite on her leg. But I already know thats a spot I need to work in, cloning.
what I need to learn: To position my subjects in better lighting. I probably should have gone BEHIND her and had her face me that way. She would not have had the sun on her face.

Photo 5

5930841441_6acc7d36e0_b.jpg

jeni19-1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
what I like: I was going for that "older" feel of a photo. I dont really know how to explain what I wanted but I did achieve it slightly.
what I dont like: How her face is pixilated. Also would have liked her left hand to hold the bottom of the dress that way there was a better outline of her belly.
what I want to learn: To use brush strokes effectively to not have her face so granulated. Also maybe not over process? is that what caused it?


Well I guess on that note! I'm ready for some C/C. Hopefully I dont cry like a 4 yr old with a skinned knee ROFL!!! I wanna learn so let me have it! and if I ask you questions b/c I dont understand what your saying just be prepared for the questions rofl!!

Thanks!
becky

since Jen was trying so hard to get good comments, I did the img thing for her so she can come home to some responses.
 
Personally, I'm not fond of the coloring in any of these shots. (You'll find that a lot of people on TPF are not fans of selective coloring, as well..) Photo #4 could have benefited from fill flash to combat the shadows on her face and body. It's not the worst maternity shoot I've ever seen, but there's definitely room for improvement. Keep it up.
 
Thanks for the feedback!! All is very welcome!! I def know I am a true beginner and I can only grown from here :) Luckily Jeni was happy so I can't complain rofl!!!

So many things are so new to me! Thanks for all the feed back! I'm doing another maternity session either wednesday or this coming week! I will take what I have been told and grow from here! Can only get better (hopefully rofl!!)

Also thank you to who posted these the way that I intended!! Just got home from work!!
Thanks!

Can I ask one quick question what is "selective coloring"??? I'm assuming its when you put a photo in black and white and the color pop?? Just want to clarify! Thanks!
 
Yes you are right about the selective coloring. Not a lot of people like it here. Not because its not "cute" but its overused and often done horribly. You'll notice in your picture with it you missed parts of her dress on her right side and got some of her right arm in color. I agree that the colors in these pictures are way saturated. (Don't worry sometimes I still find myself doing that and I remember getting color happy when I first learned to use it.) I think the best one is of the belly in black and white. The only thing I don't like about it would be what she is wearing because you can see it folded and something hanging on the side. I would use something black to blend with the background :) I'm a newbie myself so don't take it to heart! Maternity shoots are hard (I personally hate them lol) but I think you did well :) Keep shooting!
 
Overall i think its pretty good for a beginner, the only one i kinda like though is 4, i think its nicely done, as for the others, the selective coloring is just off, you missed some dress, got some arm and other things
And you're right, you can improve, so i hope to see the pictures from your next one :D
 
Thanks guys! I'm such a perfectonist and when I did the coloring it took me awhile too!! I did not see that I got her arm!! or missed some dress! ROFL! THank you!!! Now that you guys picked it out I see it now!! Her right shoulder with her hair I didn't do and I got her left arm!! Gosh my perfectionistism (sp rofl!) was spoofed!

My photoshoot got canceled for wed but resched for Sunday! So I can't wait!!! This time its with a family!! A couple with their 3 year old daughter and she is 38weeks!! I can not wait! She is so excited too! Def copied down some notes for the next one!!

I always try to get prepared with notes on what I can do different from the last time. What I liked that worked the last time. and kind of a check of list.
 
I like 3 and 5, but I am not a fan of your editing on 1 and 5, it is a lot to take in. Vintage and super bright almost high key work in the right setting, but consider the application here, does it enhance your photos? In my opinion, not so much, there are some strange skin tones in most of these. #3 is great, skin smoothing is not that hard to learn, take some time out and learn the basics and practice, practice, practice. #4 I am NOT a fan, the lighting is working against you, her positioning is a little bit awkward, it looks more like a snapshot than any of the others.

Ditch the selective coloring. Even if your clients request it and are all "Awww, but it's SO CUTE". It's not. Really. When it's done right, in the right picture, with the right touch, it is amazing. 98% of the time it's not done right. It doesn't add anything to your picture, basically you're saying "Look at her shirt and its pretty pattern", it doesn't draw attention to anything particularly eye catching or inspiring in your image.

Keep shooting and good luck!
 
small notes:

in 1 & 5 her brassiere is showing in a not-flattering way.
5 the entire right half of the picture doesn't contribute except as a place for your logo.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top