# Thoughts on maternity sihlouette



## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

I'm drowning lol!  I won a bid for the one of the biggest hospitals in  Northern Utah.  I'm completely confident in my ability to get them a fantastic product.  The contract includes 3 moms  - each mom gets lifestyle maternity, birth story, and lifestyle newborn.  Mom #1 had her maternity session yesterday afternoon and shortly thereafter went into labor.

Their home was beautiful and I wanted to play with some styles I don't usually do.  

Thoughts on this one in particular....






My style is usually more bright and airy, but I love the idea of going for more of a silhouette.  Too bright?  Do I need to go darker?


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## ronlane (Mar 9, 2015)

If it were to be a sihlouette, I was expecting something a lot darker. But that's just me.


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

ronlane said:


> If it were to be a sihlouette, I was expecting something a lot darker. But that's just me.



That's what I wondered.... would I lose too much if I made it darker?  If it's NOT a silhouette, should I brighten the image?


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## ronlane (Mar 9, 2015)

I'm not sure, if you go darker, you will most likely loose too much. I was thinking shape without being able to identify the face. That may not be something you are looking for though. If you are editing in LR or CC, make a couple of copies and play with darkening and lightening it.


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

ronlane said:


> I'm not sure, if you go darker, you will most likely loose too much. I was thinking shape without being able to identify the face. That may not be something you are looking for though. If you are editing in LR or CC, make a couple of copies and play with darkening and lightening it.



ACR and CC, so I'll go play.  Maybe a very mild HDR - so to speak - using different exposures overlayed to get the feel I want.?


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## ronlane (Mar 9, 2015)

with CC, I'd use blank layers to dodge and burn it instead of HDR. I've not really seen any HDR stuff on people that I liked.

Technique similar to this.


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## Designer (Mar 9, 2015)

twocolor said:


> Thoughts on this one in particular....


It's not actually a silhouette.  I'm not sure what anybody would get from a silhouette anyway, but if you're going to try one, ask her to step in front of a longer window and pull her hair back away from her face. Shoot her in profile.  You can decide if her arms are going to be part of the composition.


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## Derrel (Mar 9, 2015)

I call this a _semi-silhouette_. I kind of like this approach...the low tones add identifying characteristics for the friends and family and subject to recognize "who" it is, but at the same time, it has the more-universal look that a silhouette-type image brings with it.


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## tirediron (Mar 9, 2015)

Agree; not a silhouette, however it is a nice image, and very appropriate, but...  (There's always a 'but', isn't there?) the "half" a lamp on the table along with the partial bowl I find irritating.  I think if you'd removed those two items this would have been a really great image.


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## Designer (Mar 9, 2015)

Agree.  The cluttered background is distracting.  If you're going to do this again, move the coffee table and everything on it, and ask her to back up a bit from the mullion.


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

I truly debated about cleaning up the table.  My instructions from the hospital were to document them in their home.  They had a videographer come in on a separate day and interview them.  We're supposed to be creating a story about who they are.  I suppose that I could send them the version as is and for my own personal portfolio I could edit out the lamp and the bowl.  They have selected 3 ladies with 3 very different lifestyles.  I have images of the kids jumping on the bed while mom and dad are snuggling on the bed.  I've got mom on the couch watching her two kids dancing...

But even as I type this, I'm realizing the photo in itself is sort of contradicting exactly what they want.  It's a posed image in an unposed setting. grrrr.  It's definitely a posed image vs a lifestyle candid.....


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## tirediron (Mar 9, 2015)

twocolor said:


> ... It's a posed image in an unposed setting. grrrr...


Nailed it in one!


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

2.


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)




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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

tirediron said:


> twocolor said:
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> > ... It's a posed image in an unposed setting. grrrr...
> ...



Should I leave it out of the set?


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## tirediron (Mar 9, 2015)

twocolor said:


> tirediron said:
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Not really for me to say, but it does seem a bit out of place.

The second set are really great!


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

tirediron said:


> twocolor said:
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But I want someone to tell me what to do lol!! I think I'll leave it in the series just because my contact at the hospital said to err on the side of too many pictures.  

It was a fun session, as a matter of fact, by the time we were done and I returned home (about 45 minutes away), I got a text telling me our little photoshoot had put her into labor.  So as per my contract, I jumped back into the car and drove the 45 minutes to the hospital to photograph her birth story.


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## tirediron (Mar 9, 2015)

You're working for your money!


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## twocolor (Mar 9, 2015)

tirediron said:


> You're working for your money!



I need someone to pay me to nap!


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## tirediron (Mar 9, 2015)

twocolor said:


> tirediron said:
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If you find that, let me know!  I'm in.


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## weepete (Mar 10, 2015)

My opinion is that you should leave it out of the set. 

I do get what you were trying to do but for me it's too underexposed on your subject for a partial silhouette (where to my mind some of your subject needs to be properly exposed) and too overexposed to be a proper silhouette. The result makes your subject look too muddy. 

In a comparison with your photos in post 13 and 14 (which are really excellent) I'm afraid the first one just doesn't cut the mustard for me I'm afraid.

I do think it's a look that's worth exploring though, but with partial lighting exposing some key features of your subject could be remarkable but not quite managed here.


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## Designer (Mar 10, 2015)

twocolor said:


> tirediron said:
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Absolutely NOT!  Now that you explained the purpose of the series, and showed us more images, I think that one is tops!

Oh, and don't remove anything in the background, it all contributes to the feeling of being at home.


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## waday (Mar 10, 2015)

Yeah, I would leave it IN the set. I think it's a great picture! I'm sure she'd love to have that one!


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## twocolor (Mar 10, 2015)

weepete said:


> My opinion is that you should leave it out of the set.
> 
> I do get what you were trying to do but for me it's too underexposed on your subject for a partial silhouette (where to my mind some of your subject needs to be properly exposed) and too overexposed to be a proper silhouette. The result makes your subject look too muddy.
> 
> ...



I think I can play with some curves in PS and bring out some of her features.  I shot in RAW, so there is a lot I can do to pull out some features.


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## Designer (Mar 10, 2015)

Yes, it should be easy enough to pull up the shadows if you haven't already.


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