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High Key Baby!

IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
edited May 22, 2012 in People
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-qp6GW5Z-XL.jpg
John :
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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    kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited April 18, 2012
    First of all, this baby's pose and expression couldn't possibly be any cuter. If you can pull this off on demand with other babies, you have an incredible future in baby photography.

    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. thumb.gif
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited April 18, 2012
    Very nice, John!
    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!
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited April 18, 2012
    Boy, I can't find anything at all wrong with this. In addition to the expression, pose and high key light, I love the slight rim light on the camera left side of his face. Not sure if it was bounce back or not.

    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! :D
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited April 18, 2012
    Thanks Joel. Can't say I had anything much to do with the cuteness. He just seemed to want to engage with the camera. Thanks too, for the kind words on the technical stuff.

    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.

    i-8zdDgsR-L.jpg

    Anybody who can make a profession of shooting babies or animals is made of far more resilient stuff than I. bowdown.gifbow
    John :
    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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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited April 18, 2012
    Bryce Wilson wrote: »

    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! :D

    Double perfect Tito's Vodka martini! (With a twist) clap.gif
    Done and done.
    John :
    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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    lifeinfocuslifeinfocus Registered Users Posts: 1,461 Major grins
    edited May 16, 2012
    Love it!

    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
    http://www.PhilsImaging.com
    "You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
    Phil
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    LubinskiLubinski Registered Users Posts: 73 Big grins
    edited May 16, 2012
    Love the photo and I think you nailed it.
    ~Lubinski
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 16, 2012
    Thanks guys. I appreciate that you took the time to comment.
    John :
    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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    Quincy TQuincy T Registered Users Posts: 1,090 Major grins
    edited May 16, 2012
    You really nailed capturing that pose, which surely lasted for a fleeting moment considering the subject. It's unique to baby photography that I've seen, and I think that's about as close to an "impossible achievement" as you may get in the next decade hahaha.
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    reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
    edited May 16, 2012
    Bravo John, well done.
    Yo soy Reynaldo
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    mjoshi123mjoshi123 Registered Users Posts: 216 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    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.

    Beautifully done, keep up great work.
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2012
    Wow! Thanks guys.
    John :
    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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    HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2012
    Congrats, really nice capture and pp.
    Charles
    www.cameraone.biz
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2012
    Ya know, after looking at this again for a while, I think I would have really liked to see some bare piggy's.

    As I said before, it's really a great portrait all around. The bare toes would have been an added bonus in my mind.
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2012
    Thanks, Charles.
    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.
    John :
    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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    Pono PhotoPono Photo Registered Users Posts: 68 Beginner grinner
    edited May 19, 2012
    Fantastic shot! And I agree, either bare piggys or at least socks with out words on them. lol, I kept finding myself trying to read what it said on his wee little socks. Adorable kid!
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2012
    Pono Photo wrote: »
    at least socks with out words on them

    I did get rid of the lettering for Mom's prints, after asking for her preference.
    John :
    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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    lifeinfocuslifeinfocus Registered Users Posts: 1,461 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    I did get rid of the lettering for Mom's prints, after asking for her preference.

    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
    http://www.PhilsImaging.com
    "You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
    Phil
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2012
    lifeinfocus wrote: »
    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

    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.
    John :
    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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    lifeinfocuslifeinfocus Registered Users Posts: 1,461 Major grins
    edited May 22, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    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.

    Thanks much. One additional question. Are you using a Sekonic meter with the Pocket Wizards?

    Phil
    http://www.PhilsImaging.com
    "You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
    Phil
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 22, 2012
    lifeinfocus wrote: »
    Thanks much. One additional question. Are you using a Sekonic meter with the Pocket Wizards?

    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.
    John :
    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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    lifeinfocuslifeinfocus Registered Users Posts: 1,461 Major grins
    edited May 22, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    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.

    Thanks. i am trying to figure out how that would work. I am still rookie in this area.

    Phil
    http://www.PhilsImaging.com
    "You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
    Phil
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