With the arrival of my son (our first!) just around the corner, I’ve been inspired (and asked by my lovely wife!) to approach some new areas of photography previously shunned like the plague. All in all–it has been a great experience. I’ve found that anything is possible if you’re willing to throw caution to the wind and get outside your comfort zone.
I’ve been shooting some classic “belly” shots of my wife for remembering’s sake. I’d never shot anything like this before, and in general–I’m not a huge people person as far as photography goes. I feel as though I don’t have the proper training and background. I often compare it to skiing–skiing powder is so different than skiing moguls or groomers. But while technique for skiing each particular condition may be different, the fundamentals are all still the same.
So I decided to check out several websites with maternity pics and see what I could learn. The web is such a useful tool for research these days. It’s so easy to go online and look at hundreds of images in just minutes. Use it!! Don’t use it for plagiarism purposes, but use it to get the brain juices flowing. It never hurts to get an idea of what others that know what they’re doing–are actually doing!
To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I just relied on my knowledge obtained from all the stuff I’ve shot in previous years–and found that much of it applied here as well. Lighting is crucial, depth of field is key, and composition will make or break the shot! I grabbed my tripod and a utility light (the type with the cage that hangs from the ceiling) and used our wall as a background. It’s painted a neutral tope color, so it worked alright. I taped a piece of tan wrapping paper across the light to soften it up a bit and just started going to work. Plug in the cable release and set up the camera timer and VOILA!!
By no means am I ready to open my own studio (nor do I necessarily hope to go that direction), but I was pleasantly surprised with how things turned out that night. Don’t be afraid to try something new, you just might surprise yourself!
ABe – your are the man. Keep pushing the envelope. JBe
Adam, I absolutely Love your stuff! You are really amazing and the belly picture, it is fantastic! Keep it up!
Adam,
Congrats on the arrival of your son . . . he looks so beautiful! I’m very impressed with your photography. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, we need to arrange for you to come on our next African adventure. Give my regards to your family.
In Hoc,
Bill