Brayden- new style for me

[hawk911]

Trying to emulate some of the other great newborn shots I've seen so here's my first artsy attempt. I do recognize the color shift/WB, and I'll fix that before storyboarding them :)

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/Family/Brayden/Brayden/IMG3661/757994119_chMw2-L.jpg

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/Family/Brayden/Brayden/IMG3670-Edit/757994131_jfFnq-L.jpg

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/Family/Brayden/Brayden/IMG3682/757994135_ed9cj-L.jpg

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/Family/Brayden/Brayden/IMG3697/757994143_Lqaac-L.jpg

[AxPhoto]

well, I was about to say I really like the look of two but just wish I could see his whole face, but you went ahead and took care of that in four...:)

Well done, 3 & 4 are my favorite of the set.

[asysin2leads]

Geoff, what a handsome young man. I like the creativity w/ these shots. Finally, another Brayden spelled the same way. Our's will be 5 this year.

[lesleysmeshly]

Great job!!! I also love 3&4. The only suggestion I would have is maybe position the basket differently so the plates and cabinet in the background are not so distracting. He is a HONEY!

[LKWMeg]

Beautiful shots! Love the color in the first one, but the position/composition of the last one!

[drumsfield]

The compositions look great. I would work on softening the skin as the pp style you're using causes the blemishes to really stand out.

[samanthajolson]

LOVE his wrinkly skin in #1!!! :) He looks so tiny and squishable!

I also think the plates in the cabinet and the cabinet itself in the background is distracting. Even if it were off center a little bit it might help. My eyes get confused in #4 where the handle of the basket goes straight up the middle of the cabinet. I also agree about the skin needing to be a tiny bit softer. However, I still LOVE the pics! Great job! :)

[hawk911]

I did no skin work, but I can try some of that later.

Is the consensus to not have the cabinet in there at all, or just more off center than it is?

[samanthajolson]

My personal preference would be no cabinet, because I like the simplicity of it. However, it does add some interest - as I like the color change in the bokeh in #3. So... um... I don't know! How's that for not answering your question?!

Here's a quick play I did with the skin... I used NellyNero's free baby skin cream action and tweaked a little. Let me know if you like it and I'll let you know how to get it/what I did!
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4ii5I-f20sk/S0OcWis0LvI/AAAAAAAAEg8/3Ie86Hgm0d0/s800/Nelly%20Nero%20Skin%20Cream.jpg

[hawk911]

^^
honestly I can't see enough difference in the 2. Your edit is a bit lighter, but I don't really see a difference in skin texture.

[samanthajolson]

I didn't do much to change skin texture, but IMO without the strong reds the skin appears smoother (ie. look at the blemishes on the bottom cheek [baby's right]). As this poster said...
I would work on softening the skin as the pp style you're using causes the blemishes to really stand out.

Here are the images side by side...
(yours on right, mine left)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4ii5I-f20sk/S0OyB7rlQfI/AAAAAAAAEhc/56JB6loO3nw/s800/comparison.jpg

FWIW, if it were my image, I probably would have tweaked more as I don't see it as "perfect" yet - just thought I'd throw a very easy and very quick "fix" in the mix!

[cameramommy]

I think they're great! I know what type of style you were trying to get and I think you got it. I personally like the cabinet, I think it adds to the "style" of the pic. Like you said though maybe try putting off at little more or even better I would try to center it with the basket. I've seen some newborn pics like this with pictures. loveseats, cabinets etc in them and they are centered with the baby in the middle in an object (basket, platter). Just an idea. Congrats on your new beautiful baby boy!! Enjoy taking all those fun newborn pics before it too late!!

[hawk911]

I didn't do much to change skin texture, but IMO without the strong reds the skin appears smoother (ie. look at the blemishes on the bottom cheek [baby's right]). As this poster said...


Here are the images side by side...
(yours on right, mine left)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4ii5I-f20sk/S0OyB7rlQfI/AAAAAAAAEhc/56JB6loO3nw/s800/comparison.jpg

FWIW, if it were my image, I probably would have tweaked more as I don't see it as "perfect" yet - just thought I'd throw a very easy and very quick "fix" in the mix!

It's more evident on my MIL's uncalibrated monitor, but I can see the difference now side by side. I wouldn't mind more info on what you did. Thx for the input.

[A_Gurl]

Here is my quick attempt at the skin...
These are good shots, btw...my faves are #3 and #4...

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll177/Anya_Gurl/babycolor.jpg

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll177/Anya_Gurl/babybw.jpg

[hawk911]

Anya... love the last one. Nice edit. Share the process, please.

[A_Gurl]

Anya... love the last one. Nice edit. Share the process, please.

thanks!

I think I did a diffuse glow, glow on like 2 and maybe the amount to like 16 or so...you can play around with it and see. Then, I went to selective color and lowered the magenta tones under the red section. I am sure I adjusted the levels just a bit and then did a gradient map layer to convert it to b&w. I have found that a lot of times after I convert something to b&w, I want it to have a little more "pop", so I boost the contrast after I convert it to b&w...
Added a slight vignette, and then burned any areas that looked too bright, etc....

Hope this helps!

[hawk911]

Thx. nice job. Thx for the steps too.

[A_Gurl]

Thx. nice job. Thx for the steps too.

You are welcome...no problem at all...

[hawk911]

so not near as involved as you did, mainly because I never learned how to use CSx. I use elements and Lightroom. My new edit:

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/Family/Brayden/Brayden/IMG3682-Edit/758989157_E2nkS-L.jpg

[A_Gurl]

so not near as involved as you did, mainly because I never learned how to use CSx. I use elements and Lightroom. My new edit:



the red tones/skin in this edit is better which, IMHO, makes a big difference! :)

As for CS3, etc. I basically learned more by trial and error than anything else...and unfortunately it took a lot of frustration to get where I am now (which is still no where near where I would like to be...lol) :)

[hawk911]

That was a simple Gaussian blur at 40% opacity :)

[Kimmy T]

Good for you trying something new. You got some good angles. I thought I'd have a quick play too, hope you don't mind. I can take it down if you'd like!!
What I did-adjusted in Hue/Sat (reds), Portraiture, Curves to lighten, Selective color, Color Balance (added more cyan & blue), spot healing brush for red spots, USM

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i117/yorkiekisses/Photo%20Editing/757994135_ed9cj-Lcopy.jpg

[hawk911]

Nope- I don't mind the edits. You can leave them up. I do ask that you also try to educate us on what you did. General steps, not details on each slider amount.;)

[Kimmy T]

Nope- I don't mind the edits. You can leave them up. I do ask that you also try to educate us on what you did. General steps, not details on each slider amount.;)

Added the steps to my post!

[hawk911]

Here is my quick attempt at the skin...
These are good shots, btw...my faves are #3 and #4...

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll177/Anya_Gurl/babycolor.jpg

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll177/Anya_Gurl/babybw.jpg

oh yeah- how did you end up with my watermark on both sides? :)

[Kimmy T]

Both WMs are on your original photo you posted.

[Pearlallica]

well, I was about to say I really like the look of two but just wish I could see his whole face, but you went ahead and took care of that in four...:)

Agreed. But great composition. Not too sure how I feel about the background furniture. Don't think it aids in the composition. I hate to draw an anne gedes illustration, but I'm pretty sure she'd use a flat BG and create a circular gradation of light/shade using a snooted strobe.

Shooting infants is so difficult. At least after a good feeding from mom they are pretty co-operative.

[sctbiggs]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i117/yorkiekisses/Photo%20Editing/757994135_ed9cj-Lcopy.jpg

This edit!

And I don't like that cabinet in the background on the ones where you can see the whole cabinet.

[Kristy]

I like 3 & 4 the best. :) In 4, it would be nice if the cabinet were a little more to the edge of the frame.. sort of like an afterthought and not a background.. if that makes any sense. :)

I don't think there is much wrong with the color of the image.. just a little under exposed... and maybe a little warm..

Here is a quick curves boost, and levels boost.. masked only to baby's skin... and also hue/saturation adjustment to bring down the yellows a teensy bit...

I wouldn't go smoothing the skin.. it takes away from the natural beauty that comes along with being a newborn. ;)

Here's my adjust... you can probably cool it down a little more... but I didn't want to over do it...

[hawk911]

Kristy, thanks for the edit, and the steps. I did a flash WB setting, rather than AWB, which accounts for the warmth. I'll shoot a grey card next time for kicks and see which I like better.

As for all you non-furniture people, I offer up image #5 of this photogs set. Not my inspiration for the shoot, but a similar setting. Do you feel it also takes away, or doesn't bother you? You'll have to turnoff the annoying music first, then go into her galleries, then newborn/maternity. It's in the newborns/maternity, image #5 in her set.

Kelly Highby newborn example (http://www.kellyhighbyphotography.com/index2.php)

Here's my take on using the "as shot" lightroom WB, with a slight vignette. No other tweeks to colors, as I didn't see much difference except in the basket. No real change to his face or skin.

http://hawkphotography.smugmug.com/Family/Brayden/Brayden/IMG3682-Edit-2/759754784_W96K9-L.jpg

[Kristy]

Kristy, thanks for the edit, and the steps. I did a flash WB setting, rather than AWB, which accounts for the warmth. I'll shoot a grey card next time for kicks and see which I like better.

As for all you non-furniture people, I offer up image #5 of this photogs set. Not my inspiration for the shoot, but a similar setting. Do you feel it also takes away, or doesn't bother you? You'll have to turnoff the annoying music first, then go into her galleries, then newborn/maternity. It's in the newborns/maternity, image #5 in her set.

Kelly Highby newborn example (http://www.kellyhighbyphotography.com/index2.php)

Here's my take on using the "as shot" lightroom WB, with a slight vignette. No other tweeks to colors, as I didn't see much difference except in the basket. No real change to his face or skin.


Looks nice... You can push the exposure a bit more if you feel like it.. You have a little room... ;)

I love the pimply baby skin.. I hope you end up keeping it close to natural.. ;)

[hawk911]

I'm not a huge fan of skin work on kids to start with. They have such soft clear skin why mess with it? :) I'll work on the exposure; not quite sure how far I want to push as I want a nice soft glow, not bright sunlight ;)