Shimabukuro
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 35
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Can someone who does lots of newborns help me out? I am taking some photos of a friend's newborn this weekend. (my first newborn, doing it for free). I love the photos with the parents wearing black and holding the baby in front of the black background. I am just starting to shoot manual. I know it depends a little on the light, but I would love it if someone would share with me some of the numbers that they use in manual for this. Example: a close up of the top of the baby's head with the body blurring behind it. I am having problems achieving this! Also, how close do you put your lights and how close should the parents be standing from the background? Can this be done very well with natural light? Any suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks! |
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jessiphotography
Registered: 01/26/06
Posts: 16
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Reply with quote | #2 |
I believe a general rule is 5 ft from the background. Corse it depends on what your doing also. What kind of lighting are you using? DOF -Depth of Field is a little hard at first when you are first learning manual. The more wide open your lens is, the more of a blur your looking for will happen. I've taken newborn photos with natural light, by a window and a white wall. They turned out very nice, but that lighting may not work as well with a black background. |
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ocampo
Registered: 02/16/06
Posts: 412
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Make sure you have a black material that absorbs the light...or it will look funny. You can always burn it out though I guess. Black velvet works GREAT. As far as the babies head being clear and the rest of the pic blurry...make sure your aperture is a low number (f2, etc...not f12). I do all natural light and use the black background...but it is REALLY easy to underexpose with a black background and natural light. So just watch it. Hope this helps!
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Ocampo
http://michelleocampo.photosite.com |
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Shimabukuro
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 35
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Reply with quote | #4 |
I followed some of Bella's advice that I read somewhere and went to the fabric store and bought a bunch of black fleece-type material. It seems to absorb light pretty well. Hopefully it works! I'm already getting nervous. I am meeting them at their home Saturday morning and they just informed me that their in-laws were going to be there to "watch"!! Ugh! Leslie |
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LoriKay
Registered: 09/27/05
Posts: 1,343
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Reply with quote | #5 |
I use a JCPenny's vellux blanket for this. This pic was natural light outside on a nice warm summer evening. How I wish I had stuff like this of my own babes!!!!!!! I did find I needed to burn to achieve the look I wanted. No special settings. I just used manual as usual to achieve proper exposure. Attached Images:
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Lori
Canon Digital Rebel XT
50mm 1.8 Lens
PSE 3
580 ex
AB 400
http://www.LoriThompsonPortraits.com
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Shimabukuro
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 35
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Reply with quote | #6 |
Wow Lori! That pic is beautiful!! EXACTLY what I hope to achieve! I wish it was warm enough here to go outside. Oh well. I guess I have 3 days to experiment with some lighting. Leslie |
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LoriKay
Registered: 09/27/05
Posts: 1,343
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Reply with quote | #7 |
Before I got strobes I was able to achieve a nice black backdrop with natural light. One thing nice is shadows do not show on black and if one does, you can burn it away. As long as your subject is exposed, the backdrop should do fine. Penny's has the vellux blanket on sale right now. $40 for a King. I have one, but want another so I can do BIG people! 
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Lori
Canon Digital Rebel XT
50mm 1.8 Lens
PSE 3
580 ex
AB 400
http://www.LoriThompsonPortraits.com
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mayfranks
Registered: 03/25/06
Posts: 1,041
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Reply with quote | #8 |
These settings usually work well for me using one light with large softbox positioned 3 feet from subject off to the right (center) side: f/16 or 18, ISO 200, SS 250. Hope that makes sense!
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Megan
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CindyS
Registered: 09/08/06
Posts: 255
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shotbyruth
Registered: 08/13/06
Posts: 911
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Reply with quote | #10 |
I'm taking mental notes because I haven't dones babies yet and I have one in two weeks. I have a lot of practicing to do. I may go and buy a doll with a bald head to practice on.... 
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Ruth Densley
Seattle, Washington
http://www.shotbyruth.blogspot.com |
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Shimabukuro
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 35
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Reply with quote | #11 |
Megan, are you able to shoot at the higher f-stop (16) because you are using a light and Michelle says a lower f-stop because she uses natural light, or??? Just want to make sure I am understanding this correctly! Leslie |
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JSColorado
Registered: 08/15/08
Posts: 1
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Reply with quote | #12 |
Two points to add... 1.) When I have used natural light to shoot infants inside and against black backgrounds, I have found that the in-camera light meter was way thrown off. If you plan to meter through the lens be sure you shoot a grey card or get right up on some skin tone or adjust for the predominantly dark setting. I just bought a used incident meter so hopefully that will solve the problem. 2.) FYI - When I was using the low f-stop (f2, etc) I loved the shallow depth of field effect but my husband always commented that he felt the families might prefer to have all the skin areas in sharp focus (hence the higher f-stops). With the black background it's not like you are going to introduce distracting elements by shooting a deep depth of field (and besides, you can always go in and selectively blur the background in PS if you absolutely had to). I just never have enough light to shoot such narrow apertures. |
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