How do you do this sort of shot?

I've got a good friend who's just had a baby, and I think it's about time I start really getting my feet wet and take some shots outside of my safe-zone (aka: wife :P) - anyway I've an idea for the usual hand-held baby shot (dark background) - but with both the mother + father holding the baby in a.. I guess cupped fashion?

Kind of like the second to last photo in this post

So yeah, how do will I be able to get the background so dark? I don't have a studio per-se, but I have an office in my house that I could use for the shooting session, unless they have a good place at theirs. Lighting wise, I was hoping to use natural light, as I really have taken to the beauty of it (well, forced to fall in love with it, as I don't have a flash yet). I want to take a frontal shot of the baby, so will I need them to wear black clothes, and then take some black sheet or something to drape over their arms? Or are these images cut out in PP?

Thanks for any pointers!

Actually, I overlooked the first photo in CheetaPita's post... (above) I'm looking to do somethnig like this, but front on (I guess that baby is lying down on a black sheet of some sort?) - so I can capture the hands holding the baby, and the baby - and that's it.

It's done with meticulous lighting and proper exposure.

I'm sure she's flattered but you really shouldn't be "borrowing" other people's work...best to put a link to the post in question.
That whole copyright thing dontcha know...

Good point, have edited them now

More to the point though, is most of the shot done in the PP phase? - I'm more on about the black background, so as mentioned only the baby + hands are visible.

Cheers!

If you put up a black backdrop and then even have the parents drape some black over them or wear black and long sleeves, when you expose for the baby, that black fabric will suck up the light like a sponge. Anything that's not true black can be burned in Photoshop.

Thanks Andrea My PP leaves a lot to be desired - by burning, could you elaborate a bit more please?

Thanks agan!

In Photoshop, there is a tool that exists just to make stuff darker. It's called the burn tool. It's with the dodge and sponge tools. If you need to make something black, you can use the burn tool to darken the area. It just takes some experimentation.

great stuff, thanks Andrea

Make sure your subjects are far enough away from the background. If they are too close, your light will shine on the black and it won't be true black, you will see wrinkles in the fabric etc. That is the biggest trick, is to make sure you are far enough away from your background. Same goes for white to eliminate shadows.
I use black a lot in my shots.

hey! thanks for mentioning my photos earlier - i cant believe i didnt see this thread earlier!

for some of my shots like this - i use natural light and for some i use studio light - i dont think it matters too too much which one you do - as long as you do it well. i just use black fleece blankets for most of my baby/newborn shots. i find that it absorbs the light nicely and photographs as true black. Lynley is definitely right about having subjects far away from your backdrop - in some instances...but for my images of newborns they are literally TOUCHING the background. for all the photos of the daddy cupping the baby...i have a black blanket draped over the dad and the baby is up against that. as long as you control the amount of light hitting the subject, you shouldnt have to worry. here is a better example of a daddy's hands cupping the baby

Yes, thats what I was thinking - I'll go down the market in town today and see if I can find some material that'll be suitable.

Thanks again for all the tips, I'll post back here when I finally get around to doing it to show you how I did for a bit of C&C

Actually thinking about it, I'm on about buying a 580 pretty soon , would this mounted off camera and fired by one of those extension cords produce a similar effect? I dont have any means of lighting at present!

using a 580ex could definitely produce the same lighting as the last photo i posted - but you can totally use sunlight too! what i do for newborns when using natural light - either i wait until the sun is behind clouds/its a hazy day and do them out in the yard...or i just use a patio when its bright. having them under a patio i think might be best!

CheetaPita wrote in post #6379232
using a 580ex could definitely produce the same lighting as the last photo i posted - but you can totally use sunlight too! what i do for newborns when using natural light - either i wait until the sun is behind clouds/its a hazy day and do them out in the yard...or i just use a patio when its bright. having them under a patio i think might be best!

CheetaPita,

Great work! Your pictures are absolutely stunning. I personally appreciate you sharing the technique. I just want to give you props for that. Thank You.

I'll be next nagging you about your B&W conversions, but that's an amazing idea, thanks!