Maternity shoot results

[i speak in math]

Did my first maternity session the other day and finally finished editing the shots. We did so many that are great. This is one of my favorites but I'd like some outside opinions. I know why I like it, but will others. I am looking for an overall critique; Lighting, composition, pose, likes, dislikes...etc. Try to avoid general, "great shot" comments that don't add anything to the conversation, unless you are willing to type out what you liked or why it looks good. Or if you dislike it, why?



Model: PENTAX K20D
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/180 sec
Aperture: 5.6
Focal Length: 28mm
Flash Used: Yes, off camera

[Life in Motion]

I like it, but the only thing that i might do....just a humble newbie's opinion . is maybe make the line where her bra under the shirt is noticeably a strapless bra less noticeable more semless in that area somehow? may not bother you though, you may like it, my eye is just drawn to that part instead of the belly more for some reason....may make the belly take center stage more ya know?

[Life in Motion]

Originally Posted by Life in Motion

I like it, but the only thing that i might do....just a humble newbie's opinion . is maybe make the line where her bra under the shirt is noticeably a strapless bra less noticeable more semless in that area somehow? may not bother you though, you may like it, my eye is just drawn to that part instead of the belly more for some reason....may make the belly take center stage more ya know?

would you mind if i tried a quick edit to show what i was referring to? i almost feel bad for even asking lol. you're such a genious


ETA: couldn't resist to try to see what it would look like...just a really quick edit on the bra line to show what i was referring to...

[i speak in math]

Originally Posted by Life in Motion

would you mind if i tried a quick edit to show what i was referring to? i almost feel bad for even asking lol. you're such a genious

I see what you're talking about. I didn't think it was that noticeable. I know I smoothed it a bit in some other shots. Maybe I'll do more on this one. If you want to give it a whirl, knock yourself out.

[Life in Motion]

Originally Posted by i speak in math

I see what you're talking about. I didn't think it was that noticeable. I know I smoothed it a bit in some other shots. Maybe I'll do more on this one. If you want to give it a whirl, knock yourself out.

okay i gave it a whirl...it's not that noticeable, just a small small nitpick . you may not like it better anyway just a simple clone job made it a little less noticeable and my eyes don't draw there first is all.

[Marija]

I'm expecting a baby and I'm trying to take a decent maternity self portrait these days
With that mentioned, if the photo was mine I couldn't ignore that detail.
I agree with Life in Motion but I don't think that's a small nitpick I think that needs to be fixed...
IMHO
Overall, I like the photo

[FallinWoman]

I love that this is a silhouette, but not fully dark. So the composition and lighting work for me.

I agree about the bra. I am also a tiny bit distracted by her hair (I think that is what it is) up by her neck. There is not enough of it to establish it, so it is distracting. Can you clone that out?

[SusanH1970]

It doesn't work as a near-silhouette to me because it's so light on top.

I wish she'd either been wearing a dark top or there was more light on her belly, or both. The brightest point is her chest, and my eye naturally goes to the brightest point first, then I notice the belly. In maternity photos, the highlight of the photograph should be the belly, especially in one like this where the face is not involved.

The position of her left hand isn't the most flattering - a woman's hands don't necessarily look their best flat and with fingers splayed. I'd have had her put her right hand on top of her belly, and the left curved under it, so her hands were photographed from the side, rather than than the one straight-on.

I do like the crop.

Can you describe your lighting setup?

[candleman]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

It doesn't work as a near-silhouette to me because it's so light on top.

I wish she'd either been wearing a dark top or there was more light on her belly, or both. The brightest point is her chest, and my eye naturally goes to the brightest point first, then I notice the belly. In maternity photos, the highlight of the photograph should be the belly, especially in one like this where the face is not involved.

The position of her left hand isn't the most flattering - a woman's hands don't necessarily look their best flat and with fingers splayed. I'd have had her put her right hand on top of her belly, and the left curved under it, so her hands were photographed from the side, rather than than the one straight-on.

I do like the crop.

Can you describe your lighting setup?

+3! good points!

i was also bugged by the bra outline.

one thing i wondered about... i wasnt sure where the "large" hand was coming from.. was it a husband/partner?
i find the way it doesnt seem to be attached to her a little confusing.
I think that if her arm was used as a natural frame, it would have made it lok a bit more natural. witha slightly looser crop, it wouldnt need to cause cause the loss of the beautiful curve of the back showing her slenderness. (kudo's for including that..)

one other tiny nitpick.. the moles i would spot-heal out. I find it polishes the image that little bit more.
thats just what i do anyway.

[i speak in math]

I tried smoothing out the bra line, which was harder than I thought since I tried to keep the pattern in the shirt fabric lined up and not blurry. I cropped it a bit (the original was uncropped) but this is my preferred crop. Took out the bit of hair and some of the pants on bottom that I felt didn't work compositionally.


Susan, I hear what you are saying about the white shirt and hand. Thanks. I wanted to "see" the ring in the shot while she can still wear it (had to grease up the finger a bit to get it on for this one). She sent me this as something she liked and wanted in her shoot. In that regards, I think I was pretty close. I didn't want pure silhouette, though.

Portland Children's Portrait Photographer newborn child baby maternity Oregon

Lighting was very simple but looks great, imo. White sheet on background system. Flash on full power, with wide angle diffuser behind it and shooting through. Find the aperture that makes it blow out to white and shoot away. Fix the gray corners in post.