Camera Labs

My wife is 7months pregnant and showing quite heavily now. I would like to take some flattering shots of her, but every attempt so far just looks horrible.

Can anyone suggest how I should go about this project please, including suggestions on flatering poses and lighting.

Thanks.

My first thoughts was, from the side and with some soft lightning somehow. Or maybe background lighting to create a nice silhuet (how the heck do you spell that anyway?)

_________________
Jake

Canon EOS 400D + EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS + EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS + EF 50mm f/1.8
My Photos - My webpage (danish)

Silhouette

_________________
Roy
EOS 350D, 40D + BG-E2N, EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, 430 EX Speedlite




My Fotopic

you just take those pictures, my friend, and take as many as you can...all angles, allllllllll lighting...a miricle is occuring, right in your lens view...what you find "unflattering today" will be the masterpiece of tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niJ6F2p9Ql8

check this out on youtube...not for the squeeeeeeeeeemish, it involves a home birth, nothing too graphic, but not everyones cup of tea. But it will show you how you can photograph the soon to be mama, and show that beauty that only happens a few times in her life, if she is lucky..
You will love the tatts, on this..
Listen to the words of the song, by Ben Harper...and enjoy your day.
loving life...makes you somehow feel all will be right with the world, eh Bob?

patti

_________________
canon 7D, Mark iii 5D, ef 70-300 f/4-5.6, ef 28-135mm canon 100-400mm L IS 4.5, and a little 24-70 L f/2.8...

What a beautiful video patti, very tastefully done. Blueorb go for it.

_________________
Roy
EOS 350D, 40D + BG-E2N, EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, 430 EX Speedlite




My Fotopic

My firend had some done a while back and posted them on facebook......
they were from the side with one arm around under her belly and the other covering above..... they were nice.....
and one of her husband behind her with his arms around the belly and thier left hands (wedding rings) together on the belly...

If i can find them (and get permission ) i will post hem or a link.......

_________________
Digital SLR Photographer as of Janurary 2008
NIKON D90 w/grip || D300 w/grip || D2x || NIKKOR 18-105 ED VR || NIKKOR 50mm 1.8 || NIKKOR 70-300 ED VR || NIKKOR 70-200 2.8 || SIGMA 28-70 2.8 || 2x Teleconverter || SB-900 Flash || SB-600 Flash || SLIK Tripod

I am in the same boat, so to speak. I found it useful to google some permutation of pregnancy or pregnant and photo...there have been a lot of famous pregnant women lately who have appeared on covers of magazines. I got some good ideas from those.

I also have to say that the most important thing during the photo session is to ceaselessly admire your partner, and give lots of verbal affection. It can create some really special moments for you both, so enjoy it!

--Blake

PS--CONGRATS!

Blue i cam across this thread and i think it can help you alot!

Congratuations my freind, i m looking forward to having myself a couple when the time is right

_________________
My Picasa

My Flickr

I think it's hard to beat the 1991 Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Demi_Moore

Hi there....

My wife is also pregnant, and i'm taking a few pictures every week from four different angles (front, back, sides) and i'm planning to make a progressive movie from that material. Like a timelapse where you see the tummy grow and have the movie divided in four squares where you can see it all at the same time from different angles.

Cool eh ?

_________________
Canon EOS 40D - Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM - Canon EF 50/1,8 II - Canon EF 70-200/4L IS USM - Speedlite 430 EX - Lowerpro Nova 4 AW
My Flickr

Have a look here.

_________________
Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

That is awesome Thomas!

Personally I have always liked the timeless nature of black and white for pregnant photography. I think soft light and filters are good too... but I really like Patti's advice

_________________
Jim Hawksworth Flickr
Canon 30D | EF 17-40 f/4L | EF 70-200 f/4L USM | EF 50 f/1.8 II | 580EX II | Berleback 2420 Tripod | and other various tools

Thanks for all your replies guys. Certainly a few ideas there to be thinking about. I will try and have a go ato some of these shots over the next week or two.

Love the stages of prgnancy shot with the baby at the end Thomas! very clever!

Thanks guys.

i think maternity shots work best from a 'neutral' angle - that being not so much from the top or bottom but from a 90* angle from her belly - that is, straight on. otherwise things start to distort a little o.O and on pregnant women that can be bad. i mean, it's always fun to mess with angles and such.

also - lots of fabric can be used creatively to flatter and bring focus on the parts that are important, namely, her belly. browse maternity shots on flickr and see what i mean - there's alot of material there. side lighting is good, i don't care for flat, straight on lighting. if you don't have studio lighting then window light or doing a shoot outdoors is always fun. a standard portrait lens is the best.. err on the long side rather than wider unless you're going for that streeeeetched out look on her belly. if you're going for distortion, get really deliberate and get some crazy angles and use a very wide lens to really give that sense of 'oh my gosh, look at her belly!' sort of thing (although she might not like that much lol)... otherwise, for your pretty nice maternity shots follow the tips above

my favorite way to photograph pregnant women is to put them in one of hubby's white button down oxford shirts and a pair of ratty old jeans and have them unbuttoned/zipped so that the belly sticks out and then button the shirt only down to the belly so that it hangs open allowing her tummy to poke out. this is particularly good for outdoorsy type shots.

hope this helps:) if she's okay with it, please share your results!

_________________
-b.
constructive critique *always* welcome!