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Maternity

Lesson 18 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

18. Maternity

Next Lesson: Boudoir

Lesson Info

Maternity

that's right we're going to go maternity but there's on ly one problem unfortunately we were unable to find a really pregnant woman so what we've decided to do is use may so flo post maternity one looking down too you like that I need you come over here for a second albert you're going to rush your head on my belly that doesn't work I know this camera guy wants it you're all for it aren't you he's back to his look I'll do it I'll do it all right can I have my fake pregnant lady end can I kill the lights so right now when I do maternity he's one of the things I tried to dio is you looking good girl your baby already dropped come right over here one of the things I try to always dio is go and make this where I'm working within what ah black surrounding so I don't have a lot of room here so this is going to be almost my hair light what's important here is that I make sure that the light doesn't spell over so what I'm gonna do can I actually I think I'm going to kill that back light in the...

window there comes someone kill that so let's take a look if you can try not to be so overly excited about this because you're just like this you're like a woman who's really pregnant you take the picture power bring your hands underneath your rubber belly good now the key here is her leg you want to adjust the leg kick the left leg is that going to look good no because it's going to make it look fuller we're going to come in here because I want you to notice where I'm setting off these are no longer constant lights they're flash so I'm going to drop my s o down I'm going to drop it all the way down to about one sixty and I may have to play with my lights just a little bit so what I'm going to do is drop it down to one sixty I'm going to go to start off at sixtieth of a second at one point eight I need to make sure there's no spill over of glide on the background this light is forty five degrees behind I want you to open up and I want you to look straight down shane out a little bit beautiful turn your head slightly to the right so I'm gonna have to go through a test question albert why did you decide to use flash because I haven't used it yet and I'm sure the people are home wondering if I actually know how so that's why I'm using flash the flash is I'm using right now are my pro photo flashes okay if you can't afford pro photo okay what you can use it's something called flashpoint it's a very inexpensive at around the light it's something that's is it of the same quality of light I'd be lying to say it's the same quality like but it's a supplement I used pro photo because of the clarity the strength of the light and I also love the fact that I could link wirelessly and adjust my lights direct from camera so now I'm going to manual right here and again I'm trying to do a couple of different things so let me take my test shot you are doing so great pregnant lady stretch your chin out a little bit just like that and let's see if this works my setting should be pretty close at this moment and let's say now I have a beautiful perfect light setup I'm bringing it in at a forty five degree angle to the face which is setting up perfect profile light I'm a tad tad underexposed maybe but I'm not going to make adjustments because I don't know if I'm underexposed based on my monitor or based on it but I know that how did I get that exposure so quick that I run any tests not really just a matter of time knowing my distance to the subject knowing my setting on the light on working from here but the key here is that light hitting the top that's essential that I'm able to get a little bit of light on top now from here watch what we do we're going to turn her body she's again kicking that front leg forward we're going to bring her hip back because pregnant ladies want to look sexy too and have curves to turn your head eyes down so I'm going to bring the light in here but notice I'm still at a forty five degree angle I'm sorry I'm in a ninety degree angle I'm not at a forty five degree angle why is that because I don't want to like the black wall behind her what makes this is the black wall if I really was in my studio to be honest with you with the right amount of room not only what I have to hair like but way back here in the corner I'd have a kick a light hitting her head so turning there I'm looking to get a little bit of rap their eyes doubt so ultimately I'm just bringing it across just like that now if she was really pregnant I would have the shirt lifted up over the belly I would be using the little bootees I'd be using the little alphabet blocks I'd be using the hands and the heart I'd have the husband come in and wrapped the hands behind similar to what a bridal post would be looking down you are doing great you're absolutely glowing as a pregnant woman eyes down just like that stay there one of the things I feel that happens is people ruin pregnancy photos by trying to make her look too happy look at that light works pretty well doesn't it it's simple light now watch bring your eyes up to me beautiful and now I'm looking to make sure now I'm gonna have to bring the light in a little bit because now I need to get a little bit more catch any eyes can you sweep the hair ity or I for a second thank you beautiful and you are being an excellent sport if every pregnant woman was as happy as you drop your right shoulder a little bit turn your head to your right not so much back a little bit you are doing terrific and I want you to smile with your eye soft right above here keeping it simple keeping its soft just like that em again were working on magic we're keeping the lighting on her soft but were thinning her out if she really wise a pregnant woman her face would be fuller so the two thirds lighting would change everything wouldn't it one of the other ones that we could do is take this off for a second when to turn it out turn it off I want to bring you right here for a second beautiful now let's see I republican have to make an adjustment here I want you here and I want you to look up good close your eyes I want to bring her more to the front because of why I don't want the light directly spelling down perfect profile now from here I'm going to make sure I'm going to turn my first light off you were doing so good huh bellies dropping so we better get this done fast just head back you're doing great closure eyes stare so let's take a look this light might be a little too harsh right now let's take a look it works doesn't it it works keeping it simple do you mind if I had a guy with you real quick is that gonna make you she's like yeah I'm a single pregnant woman okay can I have jesse come on over now believe it or not one of the things I've been seeing is more and more I see single pregnant women coming in so this type of moment I would say who's involved with it with you is that your mom is his sister is that your best friend who is a guy who ever maybe I don't ask questions about why there are single pregnant woman I just look to make it more rewarding because now the more people I have involved the more chance of sails there are this more people adopting you like give you an unexamined I have parents coming in with what do they call them surrogate they're having a baby and have someone else carrying it for them I'll do a pregnancy photo of the three of them together that makes a world of difference because now that mother who's having the baby will always remember and the parents and you have that connection and of child may do it do I get it a lot nobody get it enough so take a look is it all right if he touches you good come right over here you're going to come over here wrap your arms on the top of herself chest for me you may have seen this before looking down here turn your head beautiful chin out a little bit just now let's take a look at what we do come forward to me a little bit did I just kick this up maybe I'm sorry I pulled it from here guys sorry about that good looking down turn your head to your right beautiful more more just green to may and turn your head to your left okay you know what we should name jan ok he's just you don't even know your husband's name god what type of trample you looking down beautiful stay there eyes down this is a flow posts isn't it just not bringing a hands up stretch your chin out a little bit jim let's take a look I think we're going to get good light it's going to be clean it's going to be soft and it should be creating whoops what happened does anybody know I forgot to turn the other light on did and I so let's take a look you're gonna forget me for this one then we got looking down beautiful just turn your head to a good and I just want shadows I love the way that light's hitting in the back but I like it better when I'm getting a little bit of light on there that's a nice soft moment so obviously I could go on all day with maternity but the fact is I'm still doing the same exact thing that I've always done we could turn the studio lights on you are spectacular pregnant woman thank you so much sorry I didn't get to show all of it but we have a lot of different posing but what I'm showing us the similarity and the things we're doing because this afternoon right after this we're going to go into what we're going to go into more of a boudoir setting which is softer elegant we're going to play a little barry white to get a soul in the mood now just getting they can't play barry white legally okay ladies shoot with some questions because I know they're all coming in ah wait a minute just gave birth we have a question from adrian far in england would you ever photograph of groups such as the bridal party where they were spread out on different levels and not how into a small space so how would you approach lighting explores I'm always going to spread the group's out on dh I'm going to try to get to that a little bit can I have the six of you real quick hop on I'm always going to spread them out because this is a typical bridal party setting so what we're going to do is make our run linda here are going to be our bride and groom come in nice and close right here this is what you used to seeing bride and groom here and here here and here and then we put all the guys on this side over here and all the girls on the other side this is boring as his playing is could ever possibly bay when you get in there close tony good getting close someone good this is a cz boring this could be what it should be is war and you're going to go over there with albert just you're going to come on this side here I'm always gonna break my groups up weren't come over here beautiful good arm around each other looking all right here here here I'm going to spread them out and I'm gonna tell a story in between because the on ly person that you know in most groups especially a bridal party type is going to be your family is going to be your partner so you're leaning forward get close together everybody leaning forward to me heads together just like that working you're magically afforded the waist I'm going to keep them all on the same plane now the question is what would you do if you had more people are always going to condense them so I can keep its smaller and better for them so I'm tighter too if I sit someone on the ground you know home always leaning people forward at the waist if you take a look right here they're going to be on the same plane lean over me shut up everybody's on the same plane is me and I naturally look thinner who do I normally sit on the ground in a bridal party grouping the larger person because I'm ableto thin them out automatically by shooting down on them so I hope that answers that question good what else we got thank you guys well what we've got is a note that says we need to go to break soon I know we got three minutes so let's see what else have we got quickly and check there's uh I think duff o d from rockridge photography uh what do you recommend for shooting outdoor maternity photos what do I shoot I don't change anything everything is the same if you've noticed whether I'm inside outside or anywhere in between I'm still creating the same lighting pattern and environment that I always have I'm looking to get and identify a main light I'm looking to shoot into the face through the body of a female so I'm doing the same exact thing but I don't want distractions in maternity one of the things that I always liked is going into a low key dark situation I don't like high key I like doc because it allows me to focus on the baby here all that stuff because I'm looking to get two sittings out of it we don't sell just maternity we saw maternity with infants so that I'm able to go in and do the infinity's a secondary sitting they've got to get both and then during the initial infant sitting I'll go a little doc and then I'll get into more of a high key look so outside I'm not changing anything in terms of lighting padding so keeping the same if you want to go chloe one of the things that I see that I dislike this is an opinion not a fact I don't like maternity is with its supposed to be that moment there's a glow about a woman naturally I don't want to overdo it with smirks of smiles

Class Materials

bonus material

Day 1 Slides
Flow Posing Guide
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop A
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop B
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop C
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop D

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

I loved every minute of it! I watched and re-watched the Live show 3 times and now have the video version to burn into my mind. I don't get sick of watching it, I learn something new with each viewing. I have notes upon notes, inspirational quotes and I was truly inspired. I saw you live at your workshop and I wish we would of covered the business section a bit more in depthly because after watching you here on creativeLive I was floored! I can't wait to attend another one of your workshops because you are a wealth of knowledge, energetic and you inspire me to be better! I'm so glad I wasn't afraid to try even though I was terrified at first. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such an amazing mentor!

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is AMAZING! The way he teaches makes it fun and easy to understand. The way he poses his couples are so fast and easy to learn, I have taken my photography from mediocre, to world-class. I would love to meet him and thank him personally one day. Thank you Creativelive for introducing me to Doug, and thank you, Doug, for introducing me to CreativeLive! The best community for learning!!!

Adrian Farr
 

Doug has so much enthusiasm, it is beyond measurable. He is truly a fantastic motivator. He helps you understand the best ways to work with the light you have and shows you some very simple yet effective posing techniques. I highly recommend watching and buying this course if you want some great advice on improving your photography.

Student Work

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