awesome brick backdrop-6 mo baby

My3Sons

I'm still working on this session, but here are a few of my favorites so far. What do you think? Be honest. What can I do to make them better? Also need help with post production catch lights for #2.


1. This one is a little grainy, but I love it still.




2. Can someone please explain how to add catch lights in the eyes with Photoshop. I have CS2 and CS4.




3.




4. My new brick panel from Lowes!




5.



Thanks all!

-Melissa
www.naturalphotography.smugmug.com
My new blog: www.naturalphotographydesign.blogspot.com

ShepsMom

These are fantastic!! What a cute baby, and your work is great. I don't think i've seen brick backdrop with a baby before. Well done

bdcolen

My3Sons wrote:

I'm still working on this session, but here are a few of my favorites so far. What do you think? Be honest. What can I do to make them better? Also need help with post production catch lights for #2.


1. This one is a little grainy, but I love it still.




2. Can someone please explain how to add catch lights in the eyes with Photoshop. I have CS2 and CS4.




3.




4. My new brick panel from Lowes!




5.



Thanks all!

-Melissa
www.naturalphotography.smugmug.com
My new blog: www.naturalphotographydesign.blogspot.com

Lose the bricks and keep the white backdrop - Those first three are really wonderful, Melissa. And I wouldn't worry about "catch lights" or anything else. You've captured the best of the baby's personality and done it in a charming, whimsical way - don't mess with success and think that it has to meet certain requirements. I absolutely guarantee you that there isn't a parent alive who would look at those images and say, 'Wow! That is great, or would be if there were catch lights in that baby's eyes."

(And, NO, that does not mean that catch lights are bad, that formal lighting techniques are bad, or that I don't have an endless number of things to learn about artificial lighting - I do! It just means that I don't think it matters at all in this case. )

Hackbone

I think they need a levels adjustment. They are lite very nice and great expressions but they seem flat to me. I hope you don't mind that I played with the one on the left. Just went to levels and rasied the black point up and played with the middle and right slider some.

VayCayMom

Love the white background and props, but not so much the brick...I am in my mid 50s and I recall when the fake brick look was all the rage in kitchens as a backsplash and that came to my mind the moment I saw it. Everything old is new again but I still don't like the overly fake look of it, now REAL brick is another matter, but not cheap or easy
The bears are great, perfect with the hat!!

Lizardsim

How in the world did you get him to smile that perfect half-smile/smirk??!!! He's the cutest!

I'm okay with the brick--kinda dark. But, you knew that going in, I'm sure.

Great shots all the way around; thanks for sharing that cutey-pie!
E.

Richard

I don't much care for the brick either, but if you are set on using it, I would look for a way to darken the floor part so it is less obvious that it's just a piece of paper. I like the others.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Cutness! Love the hat and the facial expressions. I am also not a fan of the bricks. To me.. bricks connotate "edgy" and babies aren't edgy, they are all soft an squishy. I think they do best on plain white or simple baby like backgrounds, simple muslin or plain black. Looks a little like the white is a bit overexposed in comparison to the baby. Maybe as was done by Hackbone you could bring up the levels or curves (my favorite) and maybe add a layer of soft light and adjust to taste. I would fix the catchlight... (also a personal preference) by cloning the other one but probably in its own layer because that side shouldn't be as bright. But lucky you have such an adorable subject to work with! Keep shooting

My3Sons

Hackbone wrote:

I think they need a levels adjustment. They are lite very nice and great expressions but they seem flat to me. I hope you don't mind that I played with the one on the left. Just went to levels and rasied the black point up and played with the middle and right slider some.

The levels adjustment does help. When you say "raised the black point", is that the same as sliding the left point on the slider bar, in the levels adjustmet? That's what I'm thinking.

As far as the bricks go, I just like it because it's different... not typical. It is a little edgier, but that's what I was going for. I think it kinda gives it a coffee shop/ live guitar soloist on stage kinda feel- well, atleast the one with the guitar. The diaper cover actually has guitars on it, so I need to find a way for that to show up better.

Thank you for all your comments. It helps so much to see what others are thinking!

-melissa

Flutist

I love that it's a CD'd baby!!!

Gary752

Personally, I like the brick background. I think the last one is my favorite. The guitar adds a nice touch to the photo. Not sure about the brick for the bottom though. Anyways, at first glance, the only thing I see is the baby's face, as his facial expressions are so cute! It's not till I look at the photos a little longer that I notice the background. I think the parents are going to like them all as is!

GaryB

Hackbone

Melissa, yes that is what I mean.

2wistd

I like the brick, but maybe for kids a bit older, put a 'rock' shirt on them and go from there! My wife always wants to give the kids a punk rock look, I think it'll work well with our kids too.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Hey Melissa, did you buy those hats online or make them? They are very cute!

My3Sons

I bought them online through Etsy. Wrote about them recently in my blog:
www.naturalphotographydesign.blogspot.com

Wish I knew how to make them!

-Melissa

Cantfeelmyfingers

I agree with an above poster, the non-catchlights aren't bothering me.. I do agree that the first couple do need a little more pop.
As for the bricks. I love it. The ONE thing I would change though, is have hardwood\laminate floor, not bricks.. it might 'soften' it a little bit. (Oh and a nice thick baseboard!)

Morris On Location

for the catchlights - don't mind if they aren't there but if they are in one eye I personally like to see them in the other.. so they don't seem lopsided...

love the bricks... (and the laminate flooring idea!)

kdspencer

Beautiful shots and beautiful baby. My first thought was that the skin tone needs a little pop, it's a little too flat and grey. I think the levels adjustment that Hackbone posted does that for you.

I also prefer the white background, but it's cool to see what you can do with the brick from Lowe's.

~Kathleen