CC pls/family mat session

[Leslie Cooper]

Okay I have been a lurker for so long i am stepping out
of my comfort zone.

Was disappointed initially with session because my husband had to shoot and me get kids attention and I didnt tell him to pull back when I wanted him to and I didnt pay attn to moms hair anyway. I like them okay now and just wanted advice on likes and dislikes on these. I really enjoy maternity trying to get more and hoping to get this newborn in with siblings.

Thanks in advance
Leslie

[Leslie Cooper]

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[Leslie Cooper]

Bumping...

[Thomas Fallon]

Since no one has jumped in, I'll offer some suggestions. I think the light is flat and flooding the entire set way too much. There is no drama or emphasis. I'd bring it from the side and work with a higher ratio. On some. you could bring the light from behind a rim light mom's tummy or a kids profile. I'd also work more on expressions. The small girl is very stiff. Do more extreme close-ups, again with light from the side to model things. The way mom is dressed, we mainly see her bare arm, not the part we are trying to celebrate. I'd probably have done these low key, not high, maybe mom in a fabric drape, with a bare tummy as the lightest part of the image. What I am mainly missing here is a feel of intimacy and any much sense of connection among the subjects. I'd work on the light until it becomes second nature. Then you could spend all your time on getting expression. A really big softbox against a side wall and a couple big reflectors would be a good start. Just my 2 cents. Hope that might help. A lot of good threads to search here too.

[Leslie Cooper]

Thank you Thomas for your reply. It does get kinda depressing when no one replies, but people get busy.
I will def. try a different lighting ratio. We have a lrg octodome and i need to work with it more. Thanks again.

[Sandra Younger]

A different top

I would suggest perhaps a different top for the mother-to-be. Tank and tube tops work well. Try to avoid the ones with ribbed texture. You can find lycra/spandex out there. I found some at Neiman Marcos last summer. They look very classy and do not distract from the mother/belly.

As far a shooting if you can move back to get more space around your subjects.

Sandra