Pregnant wife photo composition ideas needed

[speednut]

My wife's "bun in the oven" is almost fully baked and I'd really like to get a photo of her before she delivers our baby girl. My wife has had a very pleasant happy pregnancy and I would like to capture her positive spirit.

Does anyone have some recommendations on composition and simple indoor lighting techniques [for mother to be by herself and also ones that include the expecting father]? I have a hot-shoe flash for my DSLR, but Nikon can't seem to be fit to manufacture more SB-28 remote cables so I can mount it off the camera. I've got plenty of halogen 500w work lights (grunt-grunt) if that would help?

Links to some pregnancy photos you think are great would be appreciated too.

Thanks for any help you can offer! :)

[smc1377]

The ones that I've really liked are with a simple pure black background with subtle lighting. Lighting that just captures the roundness of her bare belly. Another one would be of you kissing her belly, again with subtle lighting from like an upper corner (no flash). These would look great as B&W's.

Another is to have her stand in front of a brightly lit window so like you're taking almost like a silhouette shot of her and her bare belly.

Those are a couple shots that I would try to capture if my wife were pregnant.

[Griffin2020]

Here are a couple of photogs galleries. Some good ideas here.

Linnea Linkus (http://www.linnealenkus.com/pregnancy1.html)
Jennifer Loomis (http://www.jenniferloomis.com/portfolio_maternity.html)
Tina Bolton (http://www.tinabolton.co.uk/tbp/tina_bolton.htm)
Koren Reyes (http://www.maternitybykoren.com/portfolioM.html)
Katsoulis (http://www.momphoto.com/m_portfolio_1.html)

The last two links are the only ones that have any images in color. I like the way that the B&W images look, but sometimes a little bit of color can make an image pop.

[Christa]

A friend of mine just had a pregnant shoot done. I really like how her pics turned out. I know she isn't by herself but you can see the simple layout of the shot with just using white sheets and having everyone dress in white.


http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd30b3127cce8278ead11b2a00000006108DaOWrNk2Y

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd30b3127cce8278d06e1b8800000046108DaOWrNk2Y

She has them posted in an online photo album.

[speednut]

Thank you to everyone here who posted, VERY helpful info!

Christa, I couldn't see any links in your post, but the photos you posted give me some good ideas.

Griffen2020, thank you for the links. All are outstanding portrait photographers. I saved quite a few of the photos so I can show them to my wife tonight and get here opinion on poses she'd like to try. I like both B&W and the color photos and I'll be shooting in RAW anyway, so I can have the option of either in post.

And smc1377, those sound like good ideas and I'll give them a try. I think a trip to the fabric store is in order now. :)

More ideas and suggestions are still appreciated too. :D

Cheers!

[Gunsotsu]

I just shot this the other day:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunsotsu/422583447/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/422583447_b28a5ef2d6.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="365: 14MAR07" /></a>

"35 and change..."

50mm
f/4
ISO200
1/8th
Hand held shooting from the floor with the afternoon sun coming from the window.

[jcole]

Not sure if this is too late, but my partner and I recently did the same thing (pregnancy & photos :) )

Here is a link to our photos (there where more, but these are the ones we decided to keep) .. maybe give you some ideas. (they where done using a normal black bed sheet pegged on a wall , a basic desk light and a hallogen and a fan) .. they did go through photoshop but not much was done ..

http://lucas.jakeandcaro.info/photolab/v/belly/

Kind regards,
Jake.

[jiminyClickit]

jcole, Welcome

Numbers 2 and 5 photos on your site are complimentary to mother-to-be in particular and womankind in general. Well composed and shot. Congratulations and good fortune to all.

[jcole]

Thanks jiminyClickit :)

[Coyotepsych]

Hi there! Lori Nordstrom has done some award-winning work and has nice posing ideas - I like her use of tulle as a covering.

www.nordstromphoto.com

[bphoto]

Try using some white sheets to reflect the light. Work lights will give you a
yellowish color, need somewhat more of a bright white light.