I'd love some CC on newborn pics please

jackie1974

This is my first time doing photographs where I set up lighting etc. and my first time trying to use photoshop. I would love some advice or opinions . Thanks

pixbyjohn

They are all super, I love the second and 5th most of all.

jackie1974

Thank you, I was really happy with them at first then started nit picking, like I can see the green blanket through the basket in the first one that I couldn't see while taking them and also I used dodge and burn in ps and have read since that tool shouldn't be used in portraits. I suppose i'll learn through the nit picking though lol, thanks again.

jackie1974

My favourite one is the second last one.

If I'm honest, I'm not mad about them. They're all cropped very tight (or not cropped enough, depending how you look at it). second would look a lot better if you could see the whole flag, in my opinion, or if the flag were just lying on the ground in front of the basket). Having it only half in looks a bit odd, to me.

I also think the (directional) lighting in the second photo is better than the even lighting in the first photo.

The basket looks like it's floating in mid-air, so I wouldn't completely black out the floor/train part, and I'm also not mad about the black and white conversions - they look very rough for a baby portrait.

My biggest piece of advice would be to get closer. We don't need to see everything. A close up of the face, for example, could look good.


That said, they're not bad at all and if this is your first attempt then you're off to a good start.

jackie1974 wrote: »

I used dodge and burn in ps and have read since that tool shouldn't be used in portraits.

I often use dodge/burn in portraiture. Especially for backdrops (it's almost a necessity). When it comes to Photoshop, I wouldn't worry too much about using things you "shouldn't" use, but instead just using what you're comfortable with.

As I say, I feel you're off to a good start (though I do think they could be improved upon). Next time you convert to black and white using photoshop, push the red and yellow sliders to the right a bit. I find that helps a fair bit (especially for babies) as it kind of whitens out the skin and helps remove imperfections (though if you go too far you'll make the photo look strange, so it's more a case of judging by eye). Brightening the skin (especially against a dark background) makes the overall photo more contrasty and, in my opinion, a better black and white conversion.


That's just my own opinion though. Everyone has different thoughts and such. It's all very subjective so take my post with a pinch of salt.

jackie1974

Hi, thanks a million for your reply. I was thinking the same about the floating basket, I would use a wooden floor with a black backdrop the next time. It was totally trial and error so when I got the black backdrop looking black I used it to death and then they all ended up with this weird black space all around so I cropped it out and ended up with what I got so ... will definitely learn from that.

Is this b&w a bit softer ?



Also I did this close up of her feet but have no idea how to tidy up dry skin so left it alone.



Anyway thanks so much for the advice, I appreciate it.

jackie1974

jackie1974 wrote: »

Hi, thanks a million for your reply. I was thinking the same about the floating basket, I would use a wooden floor with a black backdrop the next time. It was totally trial and error so when I got the black backdrop looking black I used it to death and then they all ended up with this weird black space all around so I cropped it out and ended up with what I got so ... will definitely learn from that.

Is this b&w a bit softer ?

Also I did this close up of her feet but have no idea how to tidy up dry skin so left it alone.

Anyway thanks so much for the advice, I appreciate it.

I prefer that b/w shot, alright (again, though, this is just my opinion, there are many who would prefer the originals I'm sure).

I just think baby photos should be soft and clean where possible.

If you're using a black backdrop then you could always leave it on the floor, but just not completely black it out in Photoshop. If you could see a few wrinkles/creases in it along the floor, the viewer would know that there's a floor there and it'd remove the 'floating basket' look.

That said, for photos where you can't actually see the bottom of the basket, I wouldn't worry about it, as you won't be able to see it 'floating' effect, anyway.


The feet shot is along the right lines, alright. Try capturing smaller details. Close-up of the tired eyes, bit of drool slipping out of the mouth, little hands curled up on a doody/finger/etc.

Again, you find out what it is you like as you go along. I wouldn't be taking my advice to heart. I think you're off to a great start.

smash

I know it's all subjective, but I really dislike how you've removed the background. Floating on black just doesn't do it for me. Sorry.

squareballoon

Hi Jackie, well done on trying out something new and for putting them up for c&c. There are a couple of problems with them that make them not work for me. The main one being the black as it makes it look like the basket is floating. You've got to have something to 'ground' it. I like to use a wooden floor, a seamless paper or else fur.
Secondly they're all very similar to eachother but just with different outfits. Try some different angles like shooting from above, closeups etc.
Your lighting should ideally come from the baby's head and not from their toes. That way leads to 'ghoul' lighting. Here's a set up from a shoot I did in my kitchen. Look for a butterfly shadow under the baby's nose which will let you know if your light is coming from the right direction.


Am I right in thinking that she's older that 2 weeks? If the newborns are under 12 days they are usually much sleepier and easier to photograph.

I've been shooting with Moments for almost 4 years and we shoot a lot of newborns. Typically if the parents can't get to us before their baby is 14 days we get them to wait until 12 weeks or so as the time inbetween can be hard.

Your black and white conversion look a little muddy. The detail is lost on the toenails etc. try using a gradient map to convert to black and white. In Photoshop go to Adjustments/gradient map. And here's a method to add some contrast
I wouldn't edit out the dry skin, that's part of being a newborn and it's nice to leave it in. If you really don't like it then you can use either the patch tool or the spot healing tool in photoshop.
Anyway, hope that's not too harsh c&c. Keep at it!

jackie1974

Thanks very much for your replies, I dont find the cc too harsh at all. Id much rather the cold hard truth that I can learn from. The teachers I remember and learnt most from at school were the tough taskmasters so no probs there.

Im having internet problems and had to reply on my phone hence the short reply but again thanks for your cc and guidance, I appreciate your time. Il come back with my next attempt to pick your brains again

PopeBuckfastXVI

squareballoon wrote: »

...

Hey SB, would you mind sharing some of your PP recipe on the newborn pic above, the tone is lovely, not overly contrasty without being flat, and a nice warm feel. It would be great if you could tell us roughly how you achieve it?

Thanks!

squareballoon

Sure, but that one is pretty much straight out of camera. The baby had a touch of jaundice which added to the warmth and she also had almost perfect skin. That big soft box mixed with some natural light for fill means that there won't be too much contrast either.