I want to be a professional one day, but I know I have a long way to go. I would love it if some of the professionals on here could offer some tips. I have several people that want me to do portraits for them in the next month. The one I am most excited about is twin newborn boys. I need posing suggestions/ tips.. prop ideas? Also.. lighting suggestions. I have 2 studio strobe lights but have not seemed to master lighting just yet. I also have 3 backgrounds... black, white and a black and white one seen here.
If you can offer any advice it would be greatly appreciated. Also advice on family portraits as well. I have several of those coming up.
Thanks!!
Also- Show me your twin portraits if you have any. Thanks!
i have no idea about baby portraits hihihihi but regarding to the lighting... yeah u have two strobes already... you have soooo many things that you can do with that... do you have a reflector?? if u have u can make ur light set up to 3 light set up... one for a main light the reflector for a filler, to make the shadows more soft and the other light can be some sort of a hair light or if u wanna go high key you can use that to light the background wash it off, so it's gotta be a less effort for you to clean the background... =) if u have these color filters you can play around with that too...
@tamallamma one of my best suggestions was something I saw in photos, get some of those wood alphabet blocks we all remember from childhood and use them to spell out the names of children you're photographing, have them holding, them playing with them, etc.
A good friend of mine had her portrait done while pregnant and they spelled out her baby's name for her to hold across her hands in front of her belly. Very heartwarming shot.
Diffuse, diffuse, diffuse. There are a lot of ways to do this, you can bounce the light, you can tape tissue paper over the strobes (not hot lights), you can use filters, you can post process.
Oh! I just remembered how much I always loved working in the studio.
I have studio lights, but would MUCH rather use natural light...my studio is in our loft, and we have 4 windows so I never use my lights. Using natural light with newborns is easy...at any house! I'm assuming since you have backdrops that you have a stand? Use the stand and put blankets over it, clamp them on, then stretch them forward over a beanbag/ottoman/boppy. Lay the babies on it...bam! I love using different colors/textures of blankets...hats...gotta have some knitted hats! Baskets and buckets work well too.
I just saw the cutest picture of twin baby boys. They were laying on their stomaches on a blanket next to each other, and each baby had a baseball cap covering their bottoms. In this particular case, they were Chicago Cubs caps, but it could be whatever the appropriate cap was. I saw little girls that had huge silk bows tied around their mid sections and resting on their bottoms. They were really precious too. I would think that photographing babies would be so much fun!!
@artivy - I think you are right about this. I turned our office into my studio, so it is very small. The lights that I use often over power my subject even when using the an umbrella and softbox.
@aliciastacy Great suggestions for props! I like the ideas about using the backdrop stand and blanket. I agree natural lighting is so much better. I am not sure how much natural lighting I will be able to get in my "studio" though. I need to play around with it. Thanks!
@petersonsheri - The baseball caps sound adorable! Thanks for the idea!
@petersonsheri@tamallamma I have the shot SHeri is speaking of, my son and nephew, bare bottomed on a piece of velvet. Tip: Work fast; "pre-think" how they will go together and have someone help you position the kiddies, then take a few photos. Go for the focal point being the eyes, and most importantly - have fun!! Enjoy the moment - how you feel will carry across into the image. Of ourse I can't find the picture right now, but if I do I'll remember to post it here.
I love natural light! Although it seems easy, you do have to be careful about over exposing and shadows. My newborn sessions consistes of lots of hats, headbands, tutus, backdrops, blankets, bean bag, oversized dog bed, and towels. It takes some practicing but It's so worth it in the end!
@vinadity98 Thank you so much for posting these! They are absolutely adorable!! I really love your top one.. I would love it if you could tell me how you go about it. Any other pointers you have would be appreciated as well. I have been following you for a while now and I am always in awe of your portraits!
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
i wanna have or do kids portrait...
P.S.
i am no pro.. ^___^
He is all about lighting.
A good friend of mine had her portrait done while pregnant and they spelled out her baby's name for her to hold across her hands in front of her belly. Very heartwarming shot.
Oh! I just remembered how much I always loved working in the studio.
@Sheral - great idea! Thanks!
@artivy - I think you are right about this. I turned our office into my studio, so it is very small. The lights that I use often over power my subject even when using the an umbrella and softbox.
@aliciastacy Great suggestions for props! I like the ideas about using the backdrop stand and blanket. I agree natural lighting is so much better. I am not sure how much natural lighting I will be able to get in my "studio" though. I need to play around with it. Thanks!
@petersonsheri - The baseball caps sound adorable! Thanks for the idea!