pregnant people portraits... or PPP

[ving]

hehe!!

anyhow a friend of my wife wants her to take some pregy person portraits on her (she is having twins)... so has anyone got any tips or hints for compositions and lighting (i dont have studio lights so its natural lighting and cieling lights plus whatever my flash will do.

[ricktas]

Talk to her about what she wants. She probably has a few pregnancy magazines lying around. There might be some good poses etc in there that she would like to attempt.

Personally, I like the low key, dark, silhouetted shots with just a tad of light to define the contours of the image.

[kiwi]

Best tip (it's free to you) is not to wait too long.

[Nic076]

Not from a photographers point of view - but from a mum's view:

*It needs to be about the beauty and miracle of life. Not about how "big" the stomach is. I can name heaps of friends including myself who hated photos during pregnancy due to the size of the belly and the number of unflattering shots of the size of other areas of the body which grew along with the belly.

*Then there is the skin around the baby. Most of the time it almost looks a little transparent - you can often see lots of veins, the skin looks blotchy and more than likely there is stretch marks. So probably B&W or soft lighting would be best.

*Have to agree with Rick talk to the mum about what she wants.

Good luck

[ving]

hmm... thanks i think...

i figured soft lighting... soft everything... oh i dont know!

[Dan Cripps]

Some from a couple of recent shoots:

[ving]

hmm... thanks guys.
more thinking...

thanks for the pics dan. i'll look at some mags too...

[ving]

well you lot will be please to know thaqt the deed has been done... i am pretty happy with some of the shots (took 800), but now i have a question...

blemishes, remove them all? keep some? tone them down? if i remove them all does the person lose identity? what do yas think?

time for the PPing

[Nic076]

Ohhh tough question David.

I think you just need to start the PP slowly. Remove some blemishes, but I think removing too much from the photo makes it seem like glamour photography rather than photographing the miracle of pregnancy. Though your model may want more of a glamourous look. I am sorry - not much help here, but very interested in seeing the shots. Good luck.

[ving]

thanks, i'll post a few shots after PPing them, thats still a long way off tho... 800 pics is a few to go thru. I have decided that i am going to PP most of them and give all 800 to her, that way she can do as she pleases with them. 95% were done out doors and we picked spots were the lighting looked intersting

being this is the first time that i have done a shoot i was pretty nervous at first, but its funny how the moment the camera goes up its all proffesional.

[ving]

come on! i know theres more portrait pros out there... what do you guys do?

[Dan Cripps]

thanks, i'll post a few shots after PPing them, thats still a long way off tho... 800 pics is a few to go thru. I have decided that i am going to PP most of them and give all 800 to her, that way she can do as she pleases with them. 95% were done out doors and we picked spots were the lighting looked intersting

I would give her 30 max. What is she going to do with 800 images. Are you serious?

You're the photographer. It's your job to use your discerning eye to select the 30 (or so) absolute best shots, process them up all pretty and present them to your client.

I once read somewhere a quote along these lines: "An amateur photographer takes 1000 images and shows them all. A professional photographer takes 100 photos and shows 10."

I honestly don't think there is anything to gain by giving someone 800 images. I wouldn't even supply that many for a wedding. It will merely overwhelm your client and take you way to long to prepare. Nobody wins.

Go through the shoot, be ruthless, select the 30-40 absolute best different shots, process them, make them look amazing then present to your client.

[ving]

Gee thanks for replying zeke. i nevr thought of that... i guess 30 odd photos that look great would be better than 800 mixed.

[Gypsy]

Yeah, 800 is too many.
I'd say 30 photos would be PLENTY!!! 80 at max IF you are confident they are essential and are top quality.

I would rather have 30 brilliant photos than 800 good photos.


As for blemishes.... I'd leave things like frekles or 'beauty spots'as thats what makes a person who they are. I'd just clone out anything thats not so permanent, like if they had a crumb or pimples or a scratch. You could probably tone things down a little, but I wouldn't remove things like freckles completly. I'd be more focused on bringing the other things OUT, as in enhance her eyes or bring the attention to her belly or her face if she has that special loving gaze... whatever it is that you want to be the focus.

Not that I've ever done maternity photos before. I'm just going by what I like to see, and what I'd like myself.

I'll be doing maternity photos soon (cliant is only 16 weeks so it's a little ways off yet).
I'd love to see your (and others!!) photos!

[ving]

thanks for your reply gypsy. i'll try and get some up soon