Ceci-1129
Aug, 2014Views
1744
Likes
Awards
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Pregnancy Photo Contest
People's Choice in Boudoir: Maternity Vs Non Maternity Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Boudoir: Maternity Vs Non Maternity Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Maternity Photo Challenge
People's Choice in All About The Bump Photo Challenge
Featured
Contest Finalist in The Human Body Photo Contest
People's Choice in maternity Photo Challenge
Curator's Choice
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Genius
Great Find
Jaw Dropping
Magnificent Capture
Virtuoso
Love it
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 2Top 20 rank week 1
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This client is a good friend of mine, and her schedule was getting hectic. We kept trying to work out a time to shoot and I suggested shooting at her home.Time
We started the session at 3:00 in the afternoon, so that we could get some warm indirect light through windows for some of the shots.Lighting
I used 1 light and 2 reflectors for this shot. It was a 48" round soft-box located to my left, slightly behind her (aiming in front of her), which highlighted the shape of the belly, then I used a white reflector to bounce a little of the light back on her side and back to create just enough edge so that I didn't lose that detail. The reflector also brought the ribbon some nice detail and created a nice edge.Equipment
I shoot with a Canon 5D. No tripod, as I like to be mobile while I am shooting. The light was a Photogenic StudioMax III AKC320B attached to a 48" round soft-box with a grid. I love these strobes and have used them exclusively for many years. They are almost unbreakable and very affordable, and they travel well for on-location work.Inspiration
I love shooting female nudes. To me, the most beautiful creation is the female body, and it becomes even more amazing while carrying a baby. The idea of the ribbon was something that I have shot several time before, but never was that excited about the results. When this client suggested it, I asked to see the ribbons she was going to use, knowing that it had to be just the right width to keep straight, and the bow needed to be small and delicate. We shot a few and I didn't like them, so she decided to add the pink highlight using a hot glue gun. That little addition made this photo come to life.Editing
I do post process all of my photos. I have a series of steps which I have used for a long time. First I fix any blemishes individually using dodge/burn techniques to make the skin look perfect, then I carefully use a program called GEM from Kodak, which creates a smoother look to skin by bringing darker pixels and light pixels closer together in color. Then when I have the image looking the way I like, I create a black/white layer and add a little bit of grain, using NIK's software plugin. After that I take a copy of the color layer, and place it over the Black/White layer, reduce it's opacity to 50%, bring up the color saturation to taste, which is usually between 25% - 32%, then I reduce the contrast by approx 10% by reducing the dark shadowsIn my camera bag
I carry my 5D, a 70-200 IS 2.8, which I used for this photo, and a 24-105 IS 4.0 lens. I use Pocket wizards to trigger my strobes. Some tiffen filters and levels of ND filters. That's my entire bagFeedback
My advice is to try different light angles. Sometimes moving the light just an inch, will change a photo, or the subject moving, or rotating. In shooting maternity, you must always think about highlighting the shape of the belly and different light placements will make the shape look different. Also, be very respectful to not compromise the integrity of your subject, and look for shadows to keep her modestly covered. Not every woman will want her private area on display, so shadows work like clothing in this area of photography.
