First Baby Photoshoot Try...Your Thoughts?

[ryandaleySD]

So my wife just gave birth to our daughter about a week ago and I have been getting really excited to get some really good dramatic black and whites of her. When we had my son, I wasnt into photography as much as I am now and feel like we missed out.

So I googled the images for examples and have been trying my hardest to replicate them.

These are a couple from my first try. We were over at the mother in laws house on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. I used a black sheet from the closet and the natural light coming from outside. I used my Nikon D80 with a 50-200mm lens. I had my 50mm 1.8f, but she got a little upset a few minutes into the shoot and I thought I would save that lens for next weekend.

So I just wanted to get your thoughts on the shots. Any feedback at all would be so helpful!

Thanks,
Ryan

[Jim Bryant]

Sweet shots, especially the second one. You should crop the first photo. Always crop for impact. To me there's too much dead space room at the top. And on the second pnoto crop in from her hands on the left hand side to the baby's right hand shoulder. All in all..really good pictures.

[ryandaleySD]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

Sweet shots, especially the second one. You should crop the first photo. Always crop for impact. To me there's too much dead space room at the top. And on the second pnoto crop in from her hands on the left hand side to the baby's right hand shoulder. All in all..really good pictures.

Thank you very much for the feeback Jim. I was really excited to sign back into today and see that you replied back to my post. I really love your work and your advice and I really appreciate the critique on my shots. When it comes to cropping I never feel like I really know where do it and I appreciate you words very very much!!!

[mmeyer]

I think those are very good! I agree, though, they should be cropped but the lighting and poses are great. I like the last one the best.

[Jim Bryant]

Well as one says, give credit where credit is due and you did ask for my thoughts.

[lputman]

So sweet. I agree with the cropping suggestion by Jim. You did really well! Congratulations!

[JGennuso]

What a beautiful baby girl! I like the second and third ones the best. I love how you have given her your name as a middle name. So neat.

[trelaflip]

All look good. Liking the black and white to. The 3rd one is my favorite.

[xzebra]

I must say that if those were my first shots I would be pretty impressed with myself.

Those are some great shots!
I really like the background of the last photo. How did you do that?

What was your setup?
Just curious what camera and lens used and camera settings did you use?

[TammyB74]

I also really like the last photo you posted, I've actually been on the look out for fabric like that. So please tell is us that a backdrop or a photoshot edit?