We’ve had a rash of friends expecting lately, and
I’ve been honored to be able to document the journey for them. It’s so much
fun to work with expecting couples – there’s such a glow in their eyes as
they talk of getting the house ready, clothing they’ve picked out. As a
photographer, it’s also fun figuring out just how the mother to be wants to
be portrayed. Some future moms are very self-conscious about their
appearance - you have to let modesty drive your approach in those
situations. On the other end of the spectrum, some future moms are so
comfortable in front of the lens, it can make a shyer photographer
uncomfortable. Regardless, the beauty of pregnancy is undeniable, making it
one of my favorite subjects.
I should note that both Sarah and I have a better understanding of this
‘expecting’ now. We’ve been waiting to adopt a child for what seems like
decades, and we finally have a child we’ll be able to call our own. The
adoption won’t be final for a few months, and we just can’t wait to be in
front of that judge and officially bring a son into our world. It’s worth
the wait, but do you ever want that wait over!
Technical Details: 1/60 sec at f/11 - 17-55mm lens
at 48mm - RAW ISO 400 - pixelroom color conversion
This image is an exercise in 'cheap' photography. I've always wanted a
white, backlit studio background for shots like this. The problem is,
they cost way to much. So, what you have here is a white shower
curtain that I commandeered for this shoot. It's not the first time
I've solved a lighting problem on the cheap. I have a hair light made
with duct tape and straws. The point? Nobody sees your gear in
the final image. Use what you have!
This shot is lit with a small burst of on-camera flash from the front, and a
whole lot o' flashes pointed into the back of the background to blow it out.
Beware, you can't use auto flash here - the camera isn't designed to meter a
flash pointed into it. I set the background flashes manually to a high
output level, and via trail and error, changed the output of the on-camera
flash to get the level of light I wanted. How much fill light is up to
you, you could go darker or lighter depending on what you were trying to
accomplish. I've developed this file darker and lighter than you see
here. Debated going darker as the form is strengthed, but I didn't
want to lose the beautiful texture in the skin.
