What I have been up too...

[CC]

Took some photos of a couple, got signed releases and everything that I could use the photos anyway I want. Cost me one 8x10 and email size pics (400x320). For my b-day I got a studio light kit and background. ;) Anyway here are a few of the pics.

Mom to be.


Mom's belly




Belly with Mom and Dad's hands


Dad's hands on Mom's belly.


Mom and Dad, belly to belly


One of my two favorite photos of Mom and Dad.


The other favorite photo.

I do have pics with both their faces showing and all but I like these because they were relaxing and being themselves in between getting their pics taken--they thought. Mom was pretty relaxed but Dad was nervous and stiff for a bit.


Mom is due any day. I also have the same deal with them to take newborn pics. :bounce: Next week I start cleaning out junk around here so I can have a wall removed, the room drywalled and have room for a studio. I figure it is great practice, if and when I do get my studio would make for great advertisements and pretty much only cost me my time.

Any suggestions, ideas, could of done better for next time?

[Blue_In_AK]

1. These are really sweet photos...

very natural and unposed. I really like them.

Incidentally, CC, I thought of you today when we were driving back to Anchorage from Homer where we had been visiting my brother. Some little critter that looked remarkably like a ferret went running across the road in front of us, and literally dove into the snowbank on the other side. He was all white with a black tipped tail, long and skinny and not very big. Do you know if wild ferrets in wintry environments change color like this, or was it something else? He was so fast I barely got a look at him.

[CC]

2. I think the only wild ferrets

are the black footed ferrets, but he could of been a close relative, weasel, mink or polecat. Not sure what they would have up there but most likely at least one. I know ferret rescues have had wild polecats brought to them because people thought they were ferrets. And thank you on the pics. They were fun to do and the mom to be was so happy to get them done. I can't wait to do the newborn pics. All that reading I have been doing has helped some.

[NV Whino]

4. I saw one of those little critters

in a movie called, Oil on Ice. It's a documentary on the ANWR drilling. My first thought when I saw the critter was "mink." But do minks change color. Got me. Beautiful creature whatever it was. And by the way, this one did exactly what you decribed, dove into a snowbank.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. I did a little internet searching

and discovered that the critter was an ermine, chocolate brown in the summer, and white in the winter with a black-tipped tail. Described the little guy to a T.

[CC]

8. Glad you found it, I did find pics

of polecats and minks. The mink would of been iffy, the polecats looked like a sable ferret. I went looking but never thought of ermines.

polecats (had to post the pics I found since they are cute)


I can see where ferrets may have come from them, though guess they haven't decided for sure yet.
The late great Gizmo, since his coloring was closest to the polecat.




Ermine

They are cute little things and I would of wondered if it were a ferret if one had run by me.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Definitely ermine

I love that photo on the right.

[NV Whino]

9. i laughed when he jumped into the snowbank

Here he is in his winter camouflage, betrayed by that black-tipped tail.

[NV Whino]

3. I love number 4

Your lighting is wonderful. Good work and an exciting project.

[Fovea]

5. Those are wonderful shots.

on shots #1,#7, and #8 in particular, a touch of hair lighting would improve these. Dad's got a bit of it in #7, but more would improve them, IMO.

A touch of warm filter in post process on all of these (or a gold reflector) would also be my choice, but that is a matter of taste.

#8 is my fav.

[CC]

6. Thanks for the suggestions.

Hair lighting would of been a lot of help. But need one more light and room to put it above. Part of the reason I want to combine two basically unused rooms into one with a higher ceiling. Ours are only 7.5 feet high (old farm house). It isn't set up very well and we had already decided to combine the two smaller rooms into one big room and raise the ceiling. It needs insulation desperately if we have to strip the walls anyway why not do it the way we want. I just think it will now be mine for photos.
When I go to print I will try the warming filter, or warm them up from the raw files. I didn't do much to these, just got the jpgs ready for email so she can pick what she wants.
They are friends of my nephew and wanted pics but the closest they could find (beyond Walmart or Sears) was almost and hour a way. There might actually be a need for a small custom studio in the area, willing to let the people choose what they want.

[gkhouston]

10. These are great, CC

I think my favorite is the last shot, where they're laughing. :thumbsup:

[intheflow]

12. CC, these are awesome!

I think my fvorites are (in this order):

1) Teddy Bear Belly

2) Dad's hands on Mom's belly

Specifically, I like the innocence of the Teddy Bear and the fact that Dad's thumbs and fore fingers form a heart around Mom's belly button. :)

You have a gift for studio photography, and portraiture. I could never get this kind of lighting or get people to relax like this.

[CC]

13. Thanks ITF

As far as lighting goes, I made Terry play dummy when I set them up so I could see where they hit before the couple arrived. Lighting isn't that hard as long as you take the time to see where it is going. You do that with natural light already, just with the lights you get to move the light where you want it. In the RAW files the hair and shirt don't get lost as much in the background but I still wish I had a hairlight.
On getting people to relax, you could do that. All you do is get them talking. Really easy with a baby due any day. I just ask about the pregnancy, what baby names they have picked and all the normal baby questions. Worked well on mom since it is her first. Dad was more nervous and harder to get to relax. So we just teased him.
I am starting a wish list of equipment I want just for lighting now. Expensive hobby we all have. I have been reading a lot and noticed that if I want to try to turn my hobby into a job studio is the way to go. Then maybe one day the hobby could at least support itself. It also helped that I have done the year of working at the college lab, helping with photoshop, helping Floyd set up the lights for his commercial photography classes, interrogating Eric and any other photog that came through. I have also been reading and surfing the web looking at pics and reading photography sites. Then there is this group with all the stuff I have learned from different people here.

[F.Gordon]

14. Dragging this thread to the top, because it deserves to be

Buuuuteefull.

Question? How is this setup? How many lights? Where are they placed? What kind of background? Too many questions?
:dunce:

My only comment.... how do you get rid of "greasy face"? I mean to me.... it looks more "natural" but I know that some people are purists about this stuff. I have this problem with flash which is one of the reasons I like shooting in available light. That is.... other than hiring a makeup assistant.
:crazy:

I could go on and on.... lucky for you it's been a long day and I'm losing steam.
:crazy:

[CC]

15. You mean you want the gory details?

Ok here you go. Nikon D70 ISO 200 160 f/11 28-80mm lens

How is this setup? How many lights? Where are they placed?
Easiest way to answer those is

I learned lighting diagrams from books.

What kind of background?
Background in a Bag http://www.adorama.com/PTBIAB812BK.html A great background, the black seems to eat light.


Greasy face, hmmm face powder? I didn't worry about it. I guess if it looked too greasy you could have them use powder (non-reflective) or in post processing use healing brush, blur or any of the dozen ways photoshop has. But because I was using the umbrellas (soft-box would do the same) the light was softer when hitting them.

On this on I used a combination of the healing brush and gaussian blur on the bright highlights to soften them up.



As far as flash goes, get a flash bracket so it sits higher. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=ProductDetail&A=showItemLargeImage&Q=&sku=355085 I have finally been convinced it is worth the money. Also you can get a diffuser (my flash came with one) or even a little soft box type thing for your flash.

Not sure when I will get to them but always happy to answer questions. Might provide to much information though. Hey you are the one got me looking at lights and now you tell me you use natural light?

[F.Gordon]

18. I said use natural light?

:crazy:

So.... you read a book and just whipped this out?

(Note to self: read stuff)
:dunce:

Why do you use a flash and lighting? Or do you? Really appreciate the links and stuff. I hadn't considered that "greasy face" could be reduced using software. Have a few I need to try that on. Your self (??) protrait came out very very nice. I'm setting up an "on the cheap" thing in my Dead Spider Gallery/Studio that I will eventually get around to trying. Might even post a self-snap of myself.

You definitely have picked this up quickly with remarkable success. I'd say you have the foundation established for a biz in this. The hardest part is interacting with the "model" IMO and you have that part nailed.... add your techno-skills.... combo is all good.

I have some other questions but I'm still trying to remember when the heck I said to use natural light.
:crazy:

[CC]

19. Oops not so much

natural light as available light. I have this problem with flash which is one of the reasons I like shooting in available light I shot these at night so the only available light would of been the end table lamps. The lights make it so I can shoot when ever with temperate correct lighting. I used two white lightening's, no on camera flash. Though sometime even in available light a pic will look much better with fill flash. (Even if I can't remember the math involved, have a ITTL flash that does it for me)

Yep that would be a self portrait that I had to have for the show I was forced to participate in at work last semester. They wouldn't let me use the funky photoshopped to death one. :rofl: They also wouldn't let me shop this one to death. But I was allowed to soften the lighting.


Easy enough to talk to the models, or really more make them talk. Just ask questions. Oh and tell young boys their parent farted to get them to really laugh for ya. Young girls will laugh too but they blush.

[TahitiNut]

16. I don't think I've ever seen family photos so EVOCATIVE.

These are really wonderful! The joy and bonding is papable ... a gift for coming generations. These would be the most prized photos I'd ever have. Awesome.

[CC]

17. Thank you, I just took pictures

of the baby and family. Its funny because she showed them to her mom, mom-in-law and other family members. They thought they were awful because her belly wasn't covered and didn't want any copies. I told her it was a generational thing, it wasn't that long ago that women tried to hide their bellies. She loves having them and flamed an 8x10 of the 7th one.