High Key Baby!
No . . . really. A baby.
I stepped way out of my comfort zone yesterday and shot a six-month-old. Then went whole hog on the scary bit and tried a high-key set. I think his personality really comes through in this shot. This was my first "fire for effect" studio work with my new Pocket Wizards and I'm convinced they made the whole exercise a lot easier. Shooting in manual mode without the annoying pre-flashes of the Nikon CLS was nice. No blinkey eyes!
High-key is a totally new genre for me. Critique appreciated.
I stepped way out of my comfort zone yesterday and shot a six-month-old. Then went whole hog on the scary bit and tried a high-key set. I think his personality really comes through in this shot. This was my first "fire for effect" studio work with my new Pocket Wizards and I'm convinced they made the whole exercise a lot easier. Shooting in manual mode without the annoying pre-flashes of the Nikon CLS was nice. No blinkey eyes!
High-key is a totally new genre for me. Critique appreciated.
John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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Comments
Second I'd say you nailed the lighting beautifully. You got just the right amount of blown background without blowing out the edges of your subject with too much reflected light. I'd be hanging this one on my wall.
Link to my Smugmug site
As you have probably figured out by now, fully manual high key setup is *the* simplest and easiest "professionally looking" lighting setup possible. Simply blast the BG, provide enough fill for the subject - and you're golden!
Careful though John, if you do really good baby portraiture, word gets around and one day you'll wake up and it will be 90% of your business.
On the plus side, if that happens, you have a perfectly good excuse to have a drink or two at the end of the day!
Nik, thank you very much. I really appreciated my Sekonic flash meter. Made it a lot easier to get into the ball park with the ratios. Then I just tweaked 'till I liked what I was seeing.
Bryce, you're very kind. I used bare speedlights to light the BG, but I did strap flags on them to keep the light off the baby. He was only around five feet in front of the backdrop, so I did have to watch the spill. One disadvantage to babies . . . they aren't patient, and when they're finished, so are you. I knew I wouldn't be able to fiddle with the light setup once he got there so I used some more patient models to test my setup.
Anybody who can make a profession of shooting babies or animals is made of far more resilient stuff than I.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Double perfect Tito's Vodka martini! (With a twist)
Done and done.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
I am visiting my son's family and three year old granddaughter. I have a few shots I took in a restaurant where I bounced light off a wall and she is in front of an old wooden booth as a background. When I get home I will finish edits and post.
I take a lot of event photos of children and a few schools and I love it. Most kids want their photos taken, as opposed to many adults. Their natural enthusiasm is contagious!!
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Beautifully done, keep up great work.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
www.cameraone.biz
As I said before, it's really a great portrait all around. The bare toes would have been an added bonus in my mind.
Yeah, Bryce, I agree. Mom dressed him in several outfits for the session. I did get some "bare piggie" shots, but they were not as good as this one. OK, but not top drawer.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
I did get rid of the lettering for Mom's prints, after asking for her preference.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Could you give a few details on the setup?
How far is the baby from the background?
Is the baby on a fleece blanket as it appears?
What lens did you use?
Any other details you would like to provide is appreciated.
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
He was about five feet in front of the bg, which was indeed a white fleece sheet. This was shot with the D700 and the 70-200 f/2.8. ISO 200. 1/250th @ f/9. Key light was a boom-mounted 28" Wescott Apollo with an SB600 and SB800 inside. BG was lit by two SB600s with flags to keep them from lighting the baby. Flashes were controlled by Pocket Wizards. Everything was pre-set manually before the baby arrived. Mom was leaning over my shoulder. I did not use a tripod for this session. Ambient light was inconsequential.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Thanks much. One additional question. Are you using a Sekonic meter with the Pocket Wizards?
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
Yes and no. I use the meter, but I don't have the chip in it. I use another wireless remote. Haven't got around to it yet is all.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Thanks. i am trying to figure out how that would work. I am still rookie in this area.
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil