Green Grass Maternity!

[xmacvicar]

Had a great session today, these clients were so great, so great! Super happy, full of life, very excited for their new baby...I am glad I got to get a glimpse of their family! Check out the shots and let me know what you think :)

http://server.mjmwebtech.net/~davidmac/Online/anne/IMG_5619_web.jpg
http://server.mjmwebtech.net/~davidmac/Online/anne/IMG_5755_web.jpg
http://server.mjmwebtech.net/~davidmac/Online/anne/IMG_5770_web.jpg
http://server.mjmwebtech.net/~davidmac/Online/anne/IMG_5876_web.jpg

[Anke]

Stunning images, David. Really nice. I just adore that first shot.

[xmacvicar]

Thank you Anke!

[doghouse_94545]

sweet!!!!!!!

[Jonny]

1 and 4 are great.
2 and 3 while technically great somehow do not sit right with me.
I hope you don't mind me being totally brutal but they remind me of those shots you get in 'mens' magazine while the ladies flash in public!

[Jonny]

1 and 4 are great.
2 and 3 while technically great somehow do not sit right with me.
I hope you don't mind me being totally brutal but they remind me of those shots you get in 'mens' magazine while the ladies flash in public!

[xmacvicar]

You mean magazines like Maxim or FHM? I am not quite sure what you mean exactly in reference to #2 and #3

Thanks for the feedback tho, I appreciate it!

[ForumForker]

I really lilke #2 and #3. Very nice indeed.

[thegaa]

Very nice location...

I love the grain to #1. Very nice!

I am curious as to the lighting on #2 & #3. I am so eager to learn!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Sam

[xmacvicar]

Very nice location...

I love the grain to #1. Very nice!

I am curious as to the lighting on #2 & #3. I am so eager to learn!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Sam

Sam,

The lighting recipe is super easy for this one....the ingredients I needed for this shot include:

Camera
Good Glass
Canon 580ex II (or any quality flash head)
Set of Pocket Wizard's (Plus II)
Any shoot thru-white umbrella (mine is an Elcipse 43")
Umbrella Mount for Light Stand
Monopod

I put the umbrella mount on the monopod for my girlfriend ( assistant!) to hold. I put the 580ex II on the umbrella mount hot shoe spot, and put the umbrella through the mount. So I have my GF holding the monopod with the flash on top, pointing into a large white, shoot through umbrella.

I set my flash to 1/2 power and my ISO to 200. If you want to reduce recycle times of the flash, bump the ISO up to 400 and drop the flash power, so on and so forth...

I positioned my model the way I wanted for this particular shot. I then metered for the sky which gave me a reading of something like f/7.1 at 1/250 sec

Using this as my base exposure, I fired off a few frames to test the light. The pocket wizards fired the flash with each shutter press, and I noticed there wasn't enough light. Luckily, my girlfriend was standing a little too far off, so I just asked her to push closer before she got in the frame. I fired off another shot and it looked pretty good. Remember, the F stop is controlling the amount of flash exposure - open up the F Stop and I am getting 'more' light from my flash. And the shutter speed is controlling the ambient light in the scene. You could open up the shutter speed to brighten up the background of trees/sky.

Thats how I did these shots.

[Zansho]

Number 1 is just gold. Just gold.

[TTGator]

Excellent shots! Thanks for the additional info as well.

[Ralph Merlino]

Very nice set, just beautiful.

[Eliza_Day]

oooh! love the locations! well done! :)

[SnowmanCanon]

Would you be cool with letting us know the processing you did on that first shot?!! It's truly a spectacular capture, magazine worthy for sure. I'd love to know how you achieved the final effect!

[melissaandkris]

#1 is simply AMAZING!! These are some great shots. I think the last would have been better if her leg were not blocking part of the baby bump but that's being picky.

[xmacvicar]

Thank you all for the feedback, must appreciated!!!

[moeronn]

Great set. Love # 1, though not quite a "maternity" shot.

Only nit is that horizon seems off a bit on all of them.

[sej]

1st shot is gold

[Jonny]

Sam,

Remember, the F stop is controlling the amount of flash exposure - open up the F Stop and I am getting 'more' light from my flash. And the shutter speed is controlling the ambient light in the scene. You could open up the shutter speed to brighten up the background of trees/sky.



Hmm. Surely opening up the aperture will have the effect of increasing the background exposure too?
Surely adjusting the flash power is the only true way to balance?

Am i wrong?

[xmacvicar]

Hmm. Surely opening up the aperture will have the effect of increasing the background exposure too?
Surely adjusting the flash power is the only true way to balance?

Am i wrong?

Yep, that works too. By no means what I said is the absolute only way - we all know that. That is just what I did on this particular shoot. Take it or leave it.

Cheers!

[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

The only thing I wish for is that the husband in the picture had a bit more distance and similar pose as the wife.

Regardless, #1 is one of the best photos I have ever seen posted on these forums.

[xmacvicar]

The only thing I wish for is that the husband in the picture had a bit more distance and similar pose as the wife.

Regardless, #1 is one of the best photos I have ever seen posted on these forums.

I agree, the husband performing a similar stride as the woman's would make the photo that much stronger...

Thank you for the kind words

[Nicole Faith]

These are beautiful. I really adore the first one! Captures so much without any real facial expression.

[auroraskye]

Really nice. I love the last one.

[Kamrie]

gorgeous :) Love the first one!