What I learned during my first maternity session!

I wanted to get my feet wet in the world of maternity sessions, so I invited Lauryn and her precious family over to my garage studio so I could practice.  I knew she would be a good choice to practice on because she is confident and secure in who she is---very necessary characteristics for a maternity session. :)

I also wanted a chance to practice my lighting.  A chance to just play---to see what would happen if I did this....or this...or that.   For me this winter has been all about learning how to work with light, either studio lights or natural light.  

Here is what I discovered:  I am the photographer.  I control the light.  I can even control the sun-- wellllll, I can't make it wait for a client to show up, but I can manipulate it to get a desired effect.

Through a series of trial and error yesterday, I was able to determine which lighting to use to get the image out of my head and into my camera.  (Talk about a feeling of supreme satisfaction!)

I also learned that trying different angles of the same shot is well worth the effort, especially with a pregnant woman.  To get the lines of the belly to be accentuated so she looks pregnant and not just like a girl in an over-sized shirt you have to twist and turn and practically stand on your head at times.  Bless her heart, my little guinea pig had to get up and down in the floor a million times so I could get those lines just so.

I also learned that my camera is a LIAR!  I shoot with a Canon D7 (or 7D whatever---some professional eh?  I don't even know the name of my gear!)  Anyway, it's a liar.  It lies about the white balance.  There are a ton of white balance settings from which I can choose, but none of them are true.  They ALL still have to be corrected post-production.  AND my camera LIES about the image clarity---what you see on that little preview screen, is most definitely NOT what you will get.  You THINK you won't have to do any touch ups....the screen shows this fantastic smooth, milky, dewy glow, and then you get it in the PC to process and discover the clarity is through the roof and every single pore is there for the world to ponder. Whoops!  Thank goodness for those actions in Photoshop, right?  :)

The biggest thing I learned, though, is that I really need an assistant!  Someone to hold the swaths of fabric back, someone to hold the blow dryer to move her hair, and someone to hold a reflector.   Ah, I guess I will need to invest in some more clamps, light stands, extension cords, and maybe a remote for the camera!  :) 

Now my only problem is choosing whether I want this in black and white or color. :)

These images were processed using The Cosmetics Counter from https://www.facebook.com/ATwistedLenZPhotoshopActions 

Super easy way to clean up those pores and hair follicles and even some harsh shadows.  Heck, I even used it to change my floors in one set. :)