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View Full Version : My crack at maternity photos

hawk911
31st of August 2009 (Mon), 14:54
My wife is 22 weeks tomorrow. We've started what I hope will be repeated attempts as she progresses. Here's my first attempt. On my work screen, it appears dark, but my laptop looks much better.

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/photos/635873941_ocWA6-L.jpg
hawk911
2nd of September 2009 (Wed), 08:58
not 1 comment? :(
PBB
2nd of September 2009 (Wed), 09:22
To me it looks good (and congrats by the way)- albeit maybe a little dark in regards to the lighting? Not exactly sure, but from my first attempt, I found the more edge lit photo's looked better in my opinion.

Won't clog up your thread with my images - but if you want to see them, PM me and I'll provide a link.

Thanks,
Paul
hawk911
2nd of September 2009 (Wed), 10:06
Paul, PM'd
hawk911
2nd of September 2009 (Wed), 10:15
Paul, those are great. Help me with the lighting on the last few. The edge lighting is what I tried and couldn't get right.
PBB
2nd of September 2009 (Wed), 10:26
Ok, not exactly sure (we were shooting in the middle of a terrible thunder storm and this was a location shoot - so I never got the chance to record settings)

For me to get the edge lighting - I had one light camera left set at the lowest setting (2.0 on the dlite4). It had the larger softbox that comes with the kit - and it was pointed behind her. So if you imagine the edge of the softbox was directly in line with her (trying to feather the lite). [ \_/ <- that edge pointing directly at her. ]

I then adjusted the aperture down till I was only getting small amounts of light hitting her (so ISO100, 1/250, F8 I beleive). I also had a whiteboard reflector behind her (out of frame) in some shots.

If that still doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll find one of those diagram sites and make something up. Although, there are probably far better people here to explain/provide examples!

Paul

P.s. Here is an example - straight out of camera except desatured by smugmug.

http://www.pgldesign.com/photos/626793309_7dEHD-M-1.jpg
hawk911
2nd of September 2009 (Wed), 11:10
gotcha. I'll have to try. I kept trying to get the light behind her, and feather toward camera, not away. Too much of a hot spot on her belly.

thanks. Nice series too, BTW.