1st maternity shoot - cc

This was my first maternity shoot. could you cc and give me some pointers. I have another one on Friday.
Thank you,

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couple more

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a few more

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Thank you for sharing. I will be having my first maternity shoot this weekend and am very nervous! I don't have any lighting equipment other than external flash. We will be doing shoot in her home and she says she has alot of natural light coming in. We will be doing in morning. So wish me luck! Any last minute advice for me???

I love natural light. these were taken with a detatchable flash. Or a strobe. But the darker one to the bottom what just a lightbulb in a lamp.

I am beginning to assume that these are horrible. no one is giving me cc on these. I did have to save them in medium not maxumum.
Anybody????

They're not horrible by any means; but each is kind of unusual in different respects. I'll give you my take on them; although honestly I've only done these once before with my wife.
#1 Interesting idea, kind of cute; but tummy doesn't show well, OOF and not a good angle to show the bulging baby. If you have time and do another series you might use some double sided tape so her hands can be elsewhere, and try an side view or a different angle.
#2 I think this is your best shot of her and the tummy but I think the BG is wrong and her outfit is wrong. In a more natural setting, even outside might be nice.
#3 This might work if she were nude or nearly so and looking up at the camera; otherwise the angle and the white drape and the loss of eye-contact just doesn't work.
#4 Too much contrast with the black outfit and white BG. Need to focus more on her with either a high-key all white or low-key all black setup.
#5 This would be great if the lighting were not so frontal and flat. You need some shadows here. Great time to put some light behind her and a softer light (reflector) in front. Turn it into a nice low-key shot.
#6 Ditto #5 light her from behind. And/Or, You might try something a little different here. Have her turn her shoulders about 45deg toward camera, use both hands to cover her breasts, have dad in back with both hands wrapped around baby.

I like #1 and #5 the best. A bit overexposed in 2 & 4, and underexposed in 6.

I'm not fond of the angle in 3.

too add to what's said, in #1, try to either find dome different blocks that don't have the art on the underside, or try to turn them so that doesn't show. Too distracting. Overall, it's the best of the group if you ignore that. BUT, I think that particular shot would look much better without the blocks, and mom's hands forming a heart around the navel

#4 I added a glow affect to it. I understand what you are saying about the blocks I din't even notice that.

I'd go with a softer look...
Less contrast with the black on white. Maybe use white on white, etc. And use soft focus to take the edge off the skin.

I would soften the belly and hands in number one. Baby's and soft go hand in hand.

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