having a 'blackout' while photographing

[steffievdakker]

I study photography and spend a lot of time on this website and flickr to learn. I always know what I want my pictures to look like, yet when it comes to the actual shooting, I seem to forget all the poses I can ask my model to do, and so all my portraits look exactly the same.

Yesterday I asked a beautiful pregnant girl if I could take pictures of her in a couple of months and she said yes. I'm very excited. Also, my father's girlfriend will be having twins in the Fall (so I will be having halfsisters/brothers or both), so I'll have another chance to practise and take pictures for my portfolio. I have already been researching maternity photography for months.

Everytime I look at those pictures I think I can do it, but I'm really afraid that all my pictures will be boring after I've done the shoots. I will do them for free, and they'll probably be happy just to have some pictures, but I need them to be really good because I want to earn money from this in a couple of years.

Did anyone have the same problem and how did you get over it? Any tips that I should keep in mind?

Thanks a lot!
Steffie

[RexK_Cozumel]

After you have all the bread and butter shots in the bag.

Be creative. Experiment with different lighting setups, composition, angles, poses, etc.

Be sure to experiment after you have the basic shots done tho. Because sometimes those little experiments just dont turn out right.

[OsmosisStudios]

Search for images you like, but dont try to replicate them. Do your own take on them, or use them as an influence or inspiration.

I actually keep a folder on my laptop of images i come across that i like. I also have a list of ideas that I'd like to do (when I get the time). This may be a good thing to try.

[t blanchard]

Put together a book of inspiration photos. You can buy one of those cheap plastic sleeve flip books in a 4x6 size and fill it with photos. Then when on a shoot you can always flip through it for ideas if you are getting stuck. After your first few shoots you'll get more comfortable.

Of course a lot of it depends on the location, available light, etc... so each shoot is different!

[candleman]

Originally Posted by t blanchard

Put together a book of inspiration photos. You can buy one of those cheap plastic sleeve flip books in a 4x6 size and fill it with photos. Then when on a shoot you can always flip through it for ideas if you are getting stuck. After your first few shoots you'll get more comfortable.

Of course a lot of it depends on the location, available light, etc... so each shoot is different!

100% yes. it saved my life on a shoot once when i suddeny went.. "um.. "

[LoveDSLR]

Originally Posted by t blanchard

Put together a book of inspiration photos.

I have upgraded to a cheap 'inspirational' MP3/JPEG player.

[tteffom]

What you can also do is use the inspirational pics that you have/like as a sort of starting point with the model.

This way, you spend a few moments with the model before starting any pics or photo sessions (probably a day or so before) going through various poses and looks to see if there's anything they like and work from there.

The double advantage to this would be that you get the models input on what they want (making them feel really chirped about their input into the shoot) and you get to print out a few reminders before the shoot to keep your memory fresh. You also won't get frightened so easily by the idea of posing the model (am I invading personal space here).

Once you've got that hurdle behind you, apart from having the "safe shots" in the bag, you can then be less tense about suggesting alternatives and new angles/poses to the model because you've been doing that already with the model, and they have a level of trust in you.

Just a thought