Newborn Baby Lighting etc

[istephallard]

Hi Everyone. I'm new(ish) to photography and I'd love to get general critique on this photo. This is my newborn baby (1 week). Anything you'd do to improve this photo? How did I do touching up (too much too little?). Mostly I've been really focusing on indoor lighting. I just got a reflector about a two weeks ago and have been experimenting with it. What are you thoughts on the lighting? Thanks so much for your feedback!!!


Canon EOS 40D 50 MM 500 iso f3.5 1/200, window lighting with silver reflector.

[ccting]

newborn baby (1 week), ISO = 500 with shutter speed 1/200???

a) Why having high ISO? You should have lower ISO
b) Why 1/200 Shutter speed, your 1 week baby does not move that fast, you may not have so fast shutter speed to freeze motion.

EV that you have with the lighting condition is 8.937, which is non-low-light condition.

Speed , f number , ISO
200 , 3.5 , 500
313 , 2.8 , 500
425 , 2.4 , 500
613 , 2 , 500
756 , 1.8 , 500
1250 , 1.4 , 500
160 , 3.5 , 400
250 , 2.8 , 400
340 , 2.4 , 400
490 , 2 , 400
605 , 1.8 , 400
1000 , 1.4 , 400
120 , 3.5 , 300
188 , 2.8 , 300
255 , 2.4 , 300
368 , 2 , 300
454 , 1.8 , 300
750 , 1.4 , 300
80 , 3.5 , 200 (ISO = 200, f=3.5, s=1/80)
125 , 2.8 , 200
170 , 2.4 , 200
245 , 2 , 200
302 , 1.8 , 200
500 , 1.4 , 200
40 , 3.5 , 100
63 , 2.8 , 100
85 , 2.4 , 100
123 , 2 , 100
151 , 1.8 , 100
250 , 1.4 , 100

Tone not harmony, i think you should use very thin curtain to reduce the light from window. Increase compensate "target" EV and reduce surrounding EV? (i have forgotten about the term). Try ISO 100, F3.5, s = 50 instead so to be underexpose a bit with same light condition

Why not turn the bed to other side, close the window with very thin golden curtain.. or use window lighting if face south for softer diffuse lighting?

[jimmyl]

Firstly, congrats on the new baby, very cute.

This is only my personal opinion, but probably work on the shadow and highlights. The sheet seems a little brite for me. But hey I'm only a newby myself.

[EmyB]

Congratulations! I'm impressed you have the energy to take photos and work your computer hahaha.

That photo is just gorgeous. Bubby's skin appears really soft and warm and huggable. Personally I maybe would have altered the angle of shot a bit so it was coming in from the right a bit more, and maybe some more of bubby's face. But I suspect you were going for a "snuggled-in" look? And that works quite well.

I don't mind the blown highlights along the baby's back, think they look nice.

[graciousness]

Congratulations on the new baby!

I love using natural light when taking photos. It's great that you have a room or window where you can source this light and yes, that reflector will come very handy in those times when you need to shed some more light in shadow areas.

The issue with this photo is that whilst you have placed the baby where there is light, you did not 'put the light' on the subject. The light needed to fall on the baby's face and that is the most important part in people photography - focus of light and sharpness on the face, especially around the eyes. So, as emy had suggested, face the baby the other way where the light falls on the face.

The sheets are the lightest part of the photo and that's where the viewer's eyes are lead to - the lightest part of the image. If you quickly look at the photo, your eyes go to light bedsheets in the background first, and then the baby's face. It needs to be the other way around.

Facing the baby towards the light would have given you the opportunity to use the low ISO and possibly, down to 100 or 200 judging from the brightness of the light. I always start with the lowest ISO setting I think I could get away with, and then work my way up if needed more.

On my monitor, skin tone is a little bit red and could use some cooling effect on post processing. Newborns tend to be reddish in the first few weeks and need some colour balancing either via white balance setting or post processing.

Anyhoo, what a gorgeous little one you have. You're going to have thousands and thousands of happy snapping with your baby so in time, taking photos of children just becomes part of your breathing.

Happy times

[ccting]

I am a newbie..

If i look at other perspective, i think you have done a very great lighting adjustment for high-key portrait. Just that you need to flatten to bedsheet so that they disappear...

Usually, what i will do is, I will use 108Red, 120 Blue, 120 Green mspaint own printed paper to preset the White balance (matrix meter), so the baby so more WARMER then focus at lips for locking the exposure (point meter), then ready to shoot.

Well, "the sheets are the lightest part of the photo and that's where the viewer's eyes are lead to " - This may not always true, particulary if the object has no interesting texture, shadow. Make it flat, and I think it will become high-key portrait. ;D (may be further slower the shutter speed a bit with negative EV compensation? ). I have no idea

forget about my comment on ISO, your image looks very clean from noise.. I just play around ISO and by turning down to ISO 100, i believe no significant improvement on noise level..(at least i don't see the difference from the web).

I put a piece USD 100 on a 100% white paper, will you look at the money or the paper?

[istephallard]

better late than never. Thank you all for your feed back it has been super helpful and I really do appreciate it! I have been trying to master lighting and have tried all the tips suggested. : )

[John Hendry]

Nice, but get in there and move things so we could see more of the face.

All the best

[sinque]

He's beautiful.