Why are babies always hanging around in baskets?

ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
edited February 25, 2011 in People
Here is a shot I did for a friend of their new baby girl. She has grown a lot in 2 weeks. It is amazing. They wanted the baby in the basket shot. We used a black velvety sheet thing as the backdrop. I though it would be easy to deal with. It was not as easy as I would have liked. In the end I might just leave it in there. What do you think? C&C Please

1195070747_z5hhS-L-3.jpg

Do you guys see any artifacts of gray pixels around the handles of the basket? I can't see them in LR or PS but when I up load to smugmug I am seeing them on my laptop. But, not on my desktop monitor?? It is bugging the hell out of me. Not sure if I want to go for a print of this one and suck my black ink to find that I have gray artifacts in there!

Comments

  • dsloandsloan Registered Users Posts: 86 Big grins
    edited February 22, 2011
    Zerodog wrote: »
    Here is a shot I did for a friend of their new baby girl. She has grown a lot in 2 weeks. It is amazing. They wanted the baby in the basket shot. We used a black velvety sheet thing as the backdrop. I though it would be easy to deal with. It was not as easy as I would have liked. In the end I might just leave it in there. What do you think? C&C Please

    1195070747_z5hhS-L-3.jpg

    Do you guys see any artifacts of gray pixels around the handles of the basket? I can't see them in LR or PS but when I up load to smugmug I am seeing them on my laptop. But, not on my desktop monitor?? It is bugging the hell out of me. Not sure if I want to go for a print of this one and suck my black ink to find that I have gray artifacts in there!

    i blew it up to the X3 size (by modifying the URL) and still couldn't see anything on my Dell Ultrasharp U2711 calibrated monitor. not sure if that helps.
    D300s : Nikkor 35 f/1.8 : Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 : Sigma 85 f/1.4
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  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2011
    I'm not a fan of the angle - specifically looking up the baby's nose. Don't see any artifacts either.
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  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    Dsloan thanks for taking the close look at it. I don't really see anything on my desktop monitor. But I can on my laptop. ne_nau.gif As long as black is black all is good :0
  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    indiegirl wrote: »
    I'm not a fan of the angle - specifically looking up the baby's nose. Don't see any artifacts either.

    The Dad loved that shot. So I figured I would tweak it first. He said she looks like she is thinking. I sort of like it. But on the other hand I see what you are talking about too. I will post up some more when I get them edited.
  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    She does look like she is thinking ;)
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  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    Here is another. On this one I faded out the background. I wanted to keep a bit to make it look real instead of floating in space. I also added a bit of surface blur to soften her up a bit. She was pretty wrinkly at this point.

    What do you guys think of this one? Probably not the most relaxed she could have been here. This is about 1 second before she peed everywhere. Babies are totally unpredictable. That is why they scare me!!

    1196513963_osZTD-L.jpg
  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    I applaud you for doing something that scares you. You've got a lot going for you in that you obviously understand lighting and set up. The shot isn't there yet - and you already know why. Baby looks like she's really uncomfortable! Just like with bigger humans, looking comfortable is essential. I've had my share of fair-skinned babies (I'm a redhead) and you've got to think about those pesky red lines from clothing and dipes with enough time to let them fade (up to half hour!). Best to do this kind of shoot when baby is asleep. Also, watch her pigs at the bottom. You've got big toe cut off.
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  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    Yep about the toe. I found it when I was doing my mask. Gotta watch those little details. They are the cool part about babies. With this one we missed that easy first week where she would have been sleeping and like playdough. They had another photographer do some shots for them. Lined it up before the baby was born. This lady really sucked. She used the pop up flash and ambient light. WTF....... A mom with camera is what they got. Anyway........... Now they are happy and have the photos they want. But we need to try again and do some more work. Next time she will be un-diapered for at least an hour. And I need to make Dad drink a few beers so he relaxes a bit too! He lost patients with the baby before she lost patients with us :)

    On this one do you see any artifacts in the background? Again. I see nothing in LR or PS on the laptop. But, I see it on my SM?
  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    Here is another basket one. Tried fading out the background instead of going totally black. I think I like it more. I also added a bit of surface blur on her to smooth out the red blotches on her a bit. Looks a bit more pleasing to me but it is a very subtle change.

    1196866025_KV3rV-L.jpg

    Without the red blotch. And a little tune up on the eye area too.
    1196830846_QUjNN-L-1.jpg
  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    I like this one best in your series, for sure. Can you lighten the pink spot on her eye? Love the blanket. I would like a grown-up sized one.
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  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    Tried the spot removal and posted it next to the other for comparison.
  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    What do you think? Are you happy?
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  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2011
    I played around with recovering some of the highlights and a crop and a conversion. Hope you don't mind.

    FWIW, I doubt I'd use this exact crop, but I'd do something b/c the edge of the basket is so close on the original.
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  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2011
    I like the one with the eye tuned up more.

    I like the square crop on the one you tried. I might mess around with some different crops on these too. Just depends on what they want to print. I am not sure on the B&W ones of the baby. I tried some in the hospital and I just keep coming back to color for her. I think I will try a few to see what the parents think. What is funny is I like all of the B&W prego mama shots I did and I don't really like the color ones.....

    Here is another. She liked being in this towel. She seemed so happy and I liked the texture and the blue. So I had Dad put her back under the light to try a few. What do you think of this one? I am feeling better about keeping some of the background and texture in the shot. Doesn't feel so much like floating in space to me.

    1197081482_idJvM-L.jpg
  • sara505sara505 Registered Users Posts: 1,684 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2011
    Zerodog wrote: »
    Here is another. On this one I faded out the background. I wanted to keep a bit to make it look real instead of floating in space. I also added a bit of surface blur to soften her up a bit. She was pretty wrinkly at this point.

    What do you guys think of this one? Probably not the most relaxed she could have been here. This is about 1 second before she peed everywhere. Babies are totally unpredictable. That is why they scare me!!

    1196513963_osZTD-L.jpg

    Shots like this drive me wild. I just can't stand seeing babies this young, seemingly suspended in mid-air, vulnerable, and unprotected. It just looks wrong to me.
    Sara

    www.SaraPiazza.com - Edgartown News - Trad Diary - Facebook
  • HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2011
    On the above photography have Dad's hand under the child for a neat comparison of size and the vunerable concern.
    Charles
    www.cameraone.biz
  • indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2011
    Zerodog wrote: »
    I like the one with the eye tuned up more.

    I like the square crop on the one you tried. I might mess around with some different crops on these too. Just depends on what they want to print. I am not sure on the B&W ones of the baby. I tried some in the hospital and I just keep coming back to color for her. I think I will try a few to see what the parents think. What is funny is I like all of the B&W prego mama shots I did and I don't really like the color ones.....

    Here is another. She liked being in this towel. She seemed so happy and I liked the texture and the blue. So I had Dad put her back under the light to try a few. What do you think of this one? I am feeling better about keeping some of the background and texture in the shot. Doesn't feel so much like floating in space to me.

    1197081482_idJvM-L.jpg

    Again with the up-the-nose! It'll drive me wild every time.

    I like the blue.
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  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited February 25, 2011
    Thank you for all of the input everyone! I will post a few more later.
    Hackbone, I have a few with Dad's hands in there. They are pretty cool :)
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