kim long- cincinnati, ohio

I think it is a very sweet image and pretty well-composed. He is a sweet boy. :-D I agree with Peter about the tonal range. I hope you don't mind I played with it in Photoshop for a minute just to experiment with the tones. I also warmed it a bit. Just a personal preference, since it's a beach shot, I thought warmer tones might work nicely.<div></div>

In the 3-6 age range, potty humor works surprisingly well. "I smell a fart! Did you fart? Woo-ee! Somebody made a stinkie!" Demoralising, perhaps. Crass? You bet. But boy do you get natural smiles! Potentially offensive to parents, so use discretion. :-D

I like to encourage Mom to just play and interact with baby the way she normally does, and then I just shoot away. I also recommend matching Mom's clothing to the background and stripping baby down to his/her birthday suit for some shots... some examples are floating about in my gallery:

 

http://www.kimlongphotography.com/Gallery/Children/

 

Also, close-up shots comparing Mom and baby's hands, feet, cheek-to-cheek shots... anything to emphasize the size difference. Baby's tiny days are so fleeting and these photos are so precious. Best wishes! Have fun!<div></div>

I meant to add that I also have photographs of my children playing the the bathtub that adorn our bathroom walls. I printed them myself. Had I had them done at a lab, from the sounds of this discussion, it sounds as though I might have gotten into serious trouble, since yes, my daughter was nude (though largely covered in bubbles from the bath), and she is nearly six. My son is an infant so I guess that wouldn't be an issue. I would post one here as an example, but sheesh, I wouldn't want my kids taken away from me.

So... would this image be considered offensive/ pornographic? My daughter was 5 here, and the crinoline was always one of her favorite dress-up pieces. I took this shot on a tripod when I was expecting my son. I have a few more from this session of just my daughter. Since she is topless and over 3, would you classify it as pornographical? I'm certain she didn't feel uncomfortable or coerced. However, we are fairly relaxed in our house and while we are hardly nudists, we are also not uptight about nudity.

 

This is an interesting discussion...<div></div>

Looks like high pass, faded...

Is the wedding happening while you're still pregnant? If so, yowsh. Make sure someone is assisting you and making sure you stay nourished and hydrated, and don't over-exert (that alone might be a heck of a challenge given the pace of wedding photography).

Wow, thanks! Not a completely original idea, of course, but I tried to put my own style into it. Just pack a blank poster board with your equipment and have them hold it up, add the text in PS or other post-processing software, and voila! Thank-you cards that everyone remembers (or that make enough of an impression to get you referrals, anyway). :-)

Michelle and I think alike. I'm just starting my business and have a very small portfolio but have already had several calls. People loved the thank-you cards. I agree that printing them is small investment with a potentially huge return.<div></div>

I do location work, including homes, and make use of whatever there is to work with. Sometimes a backdrop is nice, but you certainly can get great shots without them. It's rare I find myself shooting in a space that is 100% devoid of visual interest. Seriously, the right framing and exposure can often make even the most mundane backgrounds visually appealing. And of course, never underestimate the power of a shallow depth of field. Good bokeh is our friend. :-) It all depends on your niche, though. The clients who hire me do so on the basis of my style, which I like to think is fairly distinct in my market. If they want very traditional portraits, they don't call me. And that's cool, because that's not really my thing.

 

As has been stated, there are many advantages to shooting on your client's own 'turf'... the ability to change clothes is definitely a plus, especially if you're going to alternate between color and black and white shots. Even if you're shooting digitally and converting, if at all possible, I personally think it's best to deliberately compose B&W images as if you were shooting with B&W film, and clothing choices factor into the tonal range big-time...<div></div>

I like them. I agree that if your client is happy, you can consider it a successful job! I second the lens recommendation and the suggestion for utilizing shallow DOF more. Also, sunlight through trees is a pain. I've totally been there... now I generally try to avoid shooting in spots where the splotch factor is inevitable. I love the pink wall background. Very girly. :-) Senior portraits are all about individual personality and if you captured that- as it seems you have- then you've done your job, IMO.

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I usually don't like 'proppy' stuff, but I do admit to making an exception to that when I do holiday pics. I get my inspiration from the artwork in vintage holiday cards, especially Victorian ones. It's a matter of taste, though. This one of my personal favorites (not a studio shot, but done in my home). Some would probably find it too contrived, but it's my taste. :-)<div></div>

Girl, age 5, boy age 1 month<div></div>

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She seemed pensive here...

Oh, here's a link to the ones I've done so far. I'm new to this and it's hard to get model releases for such personal portraits, so there isn't a lot of subject variety. But I like to think I have some creativity in there. The shadow one was a whim but I really liked the way it turned out:

 

<a href="http://www.kimlongphotography.com/Gallery/Pregnancy">Pregnancy Portraits</a>

Check out flickr and browse the group called The Beauty of Pregnancy. Some very nice images there. We definitely have to keep our guard up- perv patrol, so to speak.

I think it works if the subjects are believably timeless enough. I think the groom in this photo looks too trendy to make an 'aged' image really effective. Just my opinion of course. I tried my own preferred Photoshop action combination for aging, and it still just doesn't quite work on that image, to me...<div></div>

Sometimes the shoe is on the other foot, believe it or not. At my sister's wedding, the *hired* photographers actually 'stole' some of my *amateur* 'setup' shots. I was the matron-of-honor and didn't take tons of photos, but I had a few I had in my mind that I wanted of my sister and my young daughter, who was the flower girl. I'd steal a moment when the photographers were (presumably) elsewhere, and then, like magic, poof! There was one of the photographers swooping down to get the shot I'd set up. Didn't make a very professional impression on me, personally, at the time. :-/ I'm sure the paid photographers wouldn't be thrilled to know that my sister actually had quite a few prints made of shots I took that day. On my honor, none were of any scenes set up by the paid pros. I'm more into the P&J style so I guess it's not as big an issue. However, there is one 'posed' shot she has an 8x10 of... nothing extraordinary, but it was one I'd set up and she liked my version better than the one the professional photographer took a second later. *ducks flying tomatoes*<div></div>

Wow, well, looking at Mary's portfolio, it sure is working for her!

I'll have to agree with the general consensus of the layout being a bit too busy- but I've never been partial to the "scrapbooked" look. I always feel the images should not be overpowered. Some very nice photos, though, and quite impressive overall, considering you say you are a self-taught newbie! :-)