Maternity Shot

Need some good ole fashion constructive feedback! Thanks!

As the father of nine kids...I have never found a picture of a pregnant spouse worthy of hanging in my living room.

chauncey wrote in post #18195913
As the father of nine kids...I have never found a picture of a pregnant spouse worthy of hanging in my living room.

Thanks, any feedback on the quality of the photo or is that a subtle way of saying the photo is poor quality? LOL

I would try these in black and white.

And I'd try for some more room... seems 'crowded' to me, a bit in the frame.

some other random comments..

the lighting set up works nice for the picture of #2, but in number one, the light camera left appears to be too low, according to shadows and catchlights..
You'd want the catchlights between 10 and 2, and the shadow going under her nose, not beside it.

Exposure is nice. I'd try to back up further and use more of the 100mm side of that lens, JMHO.

ksbal wrote in post #18195999
And I'd try for some more room... seems 'crowded' to me, a bit in the frame.

Thanks, would you be able to provide an example?

ksbal wrote in post #18196000
some other random comments..

the lighting set up works nice for the picture of #2, but in number one, the light camera left appears to be too low, according to shadows and catchlights..
You'd want the catchlights between 10 and 2, and the shadow going under her nose, not beside it.

Exposure is nice. I'd try to back up further and use more of the 100mm side of that lens, JMHO.

Appreciate the feedback! I agree and wish I could go a little higher, but I'm setup in my basement and can't get any higher. Unfortunately (my sister) lives in New York and is headed home so I'll try to backup next time I get a chance with a different subject. Thanks again!

Mostly just extend the black area a bit, like in the second, so it gives more 'feeling' to the image. So I'd add to the top and the left sides in the second image.

I do like the first one, a smashing smile. She doesn't look 'very' pregnant. I always thought it was 6-7 months to do this sort of pic. They also look cool with mum wearing 'less'. A matter of taste. Not bothered about whether you would 'hang it on a wall', its a lovely moment in the family.

Nothing technical to suggest here (not educated enough ). But, from the "what looks/seems "right" to me" part of my brain, the black background just doesn't do it for me. The mother seems to me to be a down-to-earth, no-bling type of person and *I* would prefer to see her in a more natural environment....outdoor​s or indoors, it doesn't matter, but within an environment that is more associated with children, newborns, and life. You have isolated the mother and child quiet well and the images are good ones but for me the images seem to be more akin to boardroom portraits. Whereas I don't care personally for the black background I do like white backgrounds and high-key images.

Also, the shawl...if your intent is to show the pregnant form of the mother I think I'd get rid of the shawl. But, again, my opinion.

I'm not trying to be negative, just honest criticism.
You asked for some feedback...that's mine, FWIW(probably not much)!
Best wishes,
Ed

Hannya wrote in post #18198969
I do like the first one, a smashing smile. She doesn't look 'very' pregnant. I always thought it was 6-7 months to do this sort of pic. They also look cool with mum wearing 'less'. A matter of taste. Not bothered about whether you would 'hang it on a wall', its a lovely moment in the family.

Thanks for the feedback. Believe it or not, she's 6 months pregnant.

Intheswamp wrote in post #18199003
Nothing technical to suggest here (not educated enough ). But, from the "what looks/seems "right" to me" part of my brain, the black background just doesn't do it for me. The mother seems to me to be a down-to-earth, no-bling type of person and *I* would prefer to see her in a more natural environment....outdoor​s or indoors, it doesn't matter, but within an environment that is more associated with children, newborns, and life. You have isolated the mother and child quiet well and the images are good ones but for me the images seem to be more akin to boardroom portraits. Whereas I don't care personally for the black background I do like white backgrounds and high-key images.

Also, the shawl...if your intent is to show the pregnant form of the mother I think I'd get rid of the shawl. But, again, my opinion.

I'm not trying to be negative, just honest criticism.
You asked for some feedback...that's mine, FWIW(probably not much)!
Best wishes,
Ed

Thanks for your input Ed! I appreciate your honesty!

I agree 100%

She is a beautiful pregnant mom, and while maternity pics are generally done once mom has begun to "bloom" a bit more, there are some tricks you can use to accentuate a baby bump. Which is the point of a maternity shoot. In this particular case, you did a good job with the hand placement on the bottom of the bump, but you might have fixed the fabric of her dress to lay closer to the TOP of the bump. (Or you could put one hand on top of the curve, one underneath I suppose.) I have also found that when photographing pregnant moms, the shape of the bump is not as always "round" as one might prefer. You can have the mom puff up her stomach, the same way you would ask a man to (huh??) do if he were pretending to be pregnant. I know it sounds weird, and some people might call it deceptive, but I don't think it is. no more so than photoshopping out stretch marks etc. It's a personal choice, I guess, but it can give a rounder look. Also, in photographing full length ladies, having them do "Barbie toe" with the leg camera side, will define the calf muscles and and create an interesting line, while hiding the crotch area depending on your goals. s.