First Baby Photography Shoot

Hello,

I'm a practicing photographer and shot my first baby last week. I wanted to show you all for opinions and perhaps get some advise on how I can improve. All comments appreciated! The couple were very pleased, I just wished I charged more money! I undercharged (again). Sorry about the photo postioning, I'm not sure why it's laid out like that.

You need to practice more on orientation. Quite a few of these were landscape when they would have looked better as portrait. And a couple that were portrait would have worked better as landscape. The one of the couple holding and feeding the baby could use cropping. All I see is knees. Actually cropping won't help, it would crop out the baby. The last 5 are really nice though.

Don Kuykendall said:

You need to practice more on orientation. Quite a few of these were landscape when they would have looked better as portrait. And a couple that were portrait would have worked better as landscape. The one of the couple holding and feeding the baby could use cropping. All I see is knees. Actually cropping won't help, it would crop out the baby. The last 5 are really nice though.

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Thanks Could you go into more detail on what photos would look better landscape and what would look better portrait? If you just say photo 3, photo 4 etc I can count and know which ones you mean. Some of these photos I have very similar or duplicates that are in another orientation, for example, the baby holding her mums finger I have this in a B&W version in portrait. I gave the couple 144 photos in total.

gohan2091 said:

Sorry about the photo positioning, I'm not sure why it's laid out like that.

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When you post images do n ot post them as an attachment and do not choose "Post Inline". Just choose Select Photos and then click Upload.

Click "Edit" at the bottom of your original post and then click mouse in between each photo and hit "Enter" twice to separate the photos. They will then be in a vertical row instead of scattered every where. You can also double click each photo while in Edit mode and choose a larger size and a center or left alignment position.

These should/could have been portrait orientation

This one is cropped incorrectly. You did not leave "room" in front of where the baby is looking. Its chopped off too close to his face. Should have been cropped opposite of what you actually did.

I did some crops but there was little room for getting it perfect. I did not download the large size images.

Some tips:

- Always leave extra room for/towards where your subject is going, heading or looking.

- Use the rule of thirds when composing (most of the time you use this rule not always) Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over your composition and position on the intersection of one set of the grid lines.

- Try not to perfectly center your subject unless this actually adds to the image interest or is important to what you are trying to convey

- Keep busy patterns out of your image as much as possible.

- Watch your background for clutter/busy patterns

- If humans are vertical take the image portrait. If they are horizontal take it landscape (usually applies not always)

- Look for, and use when possible, leading lines that guide the viewers eye into the center of your image



Here is a kind of guide (not that accurate) of using rule of thirds for composition

I dont agree with such close crops. I like room around a baby head, make the fabric part of the image, blur it out in the sides and so on.



144 images???? Are you crazy, lol. Why so many? Why not 20 really good ones (I wouldn't give above 10, unless they specifically asked..)


Since you posted so many images, this is just what immediately spring to my mind/eyes:



Number 1, 2, 3 I like They are a bit to soft though - the skin has to be soft, but not the eyes, mouth and so on.

Number 4 is cute, but the angle could be a little better, baby looks a bit chubby.

Number 5 and 6 (the eyes only), is this a heavy crop of the original picture? I think its missing some sharpness.

Number 7 - messy background..

Number 8, good! Please clear away the brown upper right corner (with a clone tool)

Number 9 - good too, the colors could be a little warmer/softer skin on mom. Also a to sharp fold in the fabric (above babys head).

Number 10, good But again, a little warmer color imo.. also a tiny bit of distraction above babys head (the fold again).


The kiss-pictures are very cute - and then I'll just say, the stair are good BUT, not fan of the radiator being visible.


Hope I don't sound to harsh, I mean it well! You did good.

Thanks guys very much for your detailed feedback.

Mike d90 said:

When you post images do n ot post them as an attachment and do not choose "Post Inline". Just choose Select Photos and then click Upload.

Click "Edit" at the bottom of your original post and then click mouse in between each photo and hit "Enter" twice to separate the photos. They will then be in a vertical row instead of scattered every where. You can also double click each photo while in Edit mode and choose a larger size and a center or left alignment position.

Click to expand...

I cannot do this, it won't let me press enter or type anything. The pictures are not in my message body, they are all clumped together as 'attached thumbnails' I don't think I selected "Post Inline" either. I just browsed, uploaded and then clicked upload.

Mike d90 said:

This one is cropped incorrectly. You did not leave "room" in front of where the baby is looking. Its chopped off too close to his face. Should have been cropped opposite of what you actually did.

View attachment 69747

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I agree, and I knew already that if someone is looking a certain direction, the space should be where the eyes are looking. I couldn't help it though, it's the way I captured it in camera. My mistake The photo of the mother kissing the baby I don't agree that should be portrait but the others I sort of agree with. I don't like the way you cropped them because I dislike square photos. The couple mentioned that they may want some of these printed and if I were to give them some square photos, there would be lots of white space (unless the paper is specifically squared which is unlikely as most are landscape orientation).

Your tips are useful but I already know most of this already (but obviously I didn't pay as much attention as I should have!) I feel this comes down to my lack of experience and sometimes when I am shooting, I get carried away and forget the rules that usually help make a photo better.

wud said:

I dont agree with such close crops. I like room around a baby head, make the fabric part of the image, blur it out in the sides and so on.



144 images???? Are you crazy, lol. Why so many? Why not 20 really good ones (I wouldn't give above 10, unless they specifically asked..)


Since you posted so many images, this is just what immediately spring to my mind/eyes:



Number 1, 2, 3 I like They are a bit to soft though - the skin has to be soft, but not the eyes, mouth and so on.

Number 4 is cute, but the angle could be a little better, baby looks a bit chubby.

Number 5 and 6 (the eyes only), is this a heavy crop of the original picture? I think its missing some sharpness.

Number 7 - messy background..

Number 8, good! Please clear away the brown upper right corner (with a clone tool)

Number 9 - good too, the colors could be a little warmer/softer skin on mom. Also a to sharp fold in the fabric (above babys head).

Number 10, good But again, a little warmer color imo.. also a tiny bit of distraction above babys head (the fold again).


The kiss-pictures are very cute - and then I'll just say, the stair are good BUT, not fan of the radiator being visible.


Hope I don't sound to harsh, I mean it well! You did good.

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Don't worry, I like people to be blunt and to the point. I'm not saying your post is blunt but I respect it and I value honesty. The eyes only photos are macro shots with a Sigma 105mm 2.8 lens, uncropped. The aperture I used was 3.3 and 4. I don't really find the one with the coloured skin soft but the eyes with the black and white skin, yes, a bit soft. Looks like I focused on the eyelashes rather than the iris.

I actually warmed up number 10 but perhaps I didn't warm it enough. I think it's down to personal preference but I do agree with the folds in the fabric and the small areas of cloning you suggested. Unfortunately, I have given the couple the photos already but I only asked for £60 ($100). I gave them 144 photos because I took over 350 and those were the best ones. Yes, I could have given them say 25 photos but I don't see any benefit of purposely removing photos that the couple may prefer over the ones I've kept. They were good enough to pick me up and take me home (I don't drive) so it's the least I can do I suppose.

Very good photos - you seem to manage to capture the "right moments". Of all of them, only that monochromatic (the family sitting by the staircase) really needs cropping.

Okay, thanks for clarifying

Thats a lot of images. But of course very good for your practice. BUT. Its actually also an art, finding the very, very best ones. The couple are probably not gonna print 144 images to hang on their wall?

Which editing program do you use?

DraganDL said:

Very good photos - you seem to manage to capture the "right moments". Of all of them, only that monochromatic (the family sitting by the staircase) really needs cropping.

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Thanks! Would you crop out the left side? the stair rails?

wud said:

Okay, thanks for clarifying

Thats a lot of images. But of course very good for your practice. BUT. Its actually also an art, finding the very, very best ones. The couple are probably not gonna print 144 images to hang on their wall?

Which editing program do you use?

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From speaking with the couple and looking at their photo albums, I think they're planning to get an empty album, print the photos and then insert them into the sleeves. I'm sure they won't use all the photos but i've given them the choice to select the ones that they like. As I said, I don't see the benefit of purposely withholding perfectly good photos just to deliver them a couple of dozen. I'm happy to release all the ones that I like. I use Adobe Lightroom for editing. I will jump into Photoshop if a photo needs advanced editing. My process for these photos is to apply various filter presets that I like, sharpen, correct the exposure if it's a bit off and for the mother, I removed a few facial spots. Fairly simple and once one photo from a particualr timeframe has been edited, I can apply the effect to all the photos in that session.

gohan2091 said:

The photo of the mother kissing the baby I don't agree that should be portrait but the others I sort of agree with. I don't like the way you cropped them because I dislike square photos

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I didn't intend to crop them square. I just didn't have enough of the photo to make it portrait size instead of wide.

Thanks DraganDL, would you leave it like that or would you, if you had more of the photo, make it a true portrait rather than a square?

I concur on the cropping aspect. Lighting is almost perfect but the subject is too 'in your face' if you get my drift. Drop off a wee bit. As for charging cheaply, I think most of us did the same when starting off. Good luck with your photography.


ex-iPhone

wud said:

I dont agree with such close crops. I like room around a baby head, make the fabric part of the image, blur it out in the sides and so on.


144 images???? Are you crazy, lol. Why so many? Why not 20 really good ones (I wouldn't give above 10, unless they specifically asked..)

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144 may be on the higher side but thats certainly not a lot. were not in the film era where you had to calvulate every picture. where you were cheap so you had enough film throughout the event. I can "create" pictures if there was only 1 picture. I could shoot 100 pictures of leaves, all useable and different angles. but dont only think composition, but add in lighting variation as well.

look at fashion photographers. they take one model, do hundreds of pictures for a photo shoot. different lighting, different poses, so whats 144 for a baby session of 3. a good photographer can always find a picture to create. in weddings my mind and eyes are all over sniping and creating. some are observers and others creators. I dont just document, I take initiative. im not passive and just look, im active and clearly in the middle of it. I also do a lot of candids as well.

so let me ask you how many pictures do you give for a full wedding? from beginning to the very end. from makup/hair, till theyre resting on the chair with their shoes off from exhaustion from dancing and all the guests have gone? because if you say anything less than 500, at the most minimum, you undershot.

rocketman122 said:

144 may be on the higher side but thats certainly not a lot. were not in the film era where you had to calvulate every picture. where you were cheap so you had enough film throughout the event. I can "create" pictures if there was only 1 picture. I could shoot 100 pictures of leaves, all useable and different angles. but dont only think composition, but add in lighting variation as well.

look at fashion photographers. they take one model, do hundreds of pictures for a photo shoot. different lighting, different poses, so whats 144 for a baby session of 3. a good photographer can always find a picture to create. in weddings my mind and eyes are all over sniping and creating. some are observers and others creators. I dont just document, I take initiative. im not passive and just look, im active and clearly in the middle of it. I also do a lot of candids as well.

so let me ask you how many pictures do you give for a full wedding? from beginning to the very end. from makup/hair, till theyre resting on the chair with their shoes off from exhaustion from dancing and all the guests have gone? because if you say anything less than 500, at the most minimum, you undershot.

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Well, this is not a wedding I do not at all see the comparison - a wedding is at least 3 different places, so much happening, party, people, portraits, dress, etc etc etc. This is a baby and a baby can only be up and happy for a certain amount of time. When I have photographed babies, they only lasted around 1 hour actually.


The guy said, he felt he got paid to little, and since he is learning I think he would benefit with spending more time with the different poses, trying different angles to find the best one and work a little more on the PP. I think some of the images looks a little unfinished.