Hi Everyone,

I am just booked my first maternity session for this weekend...and I am super nervous. So my question is actually about portable backdrops and I am wondering what you all use (if you do) and what you recommend. I am not a huge fan of studio work, but this woman really likes simple white backgrounds, etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And I really mean any suggestions. Thanks everyone. You guys are the best!

Autumn, I know you are out there too!

Maternity sessions are soooo much fun! There's nothing better than really celebrating this time in a woman's life. You're going to have a great time!

Hmmm, simple white background... Well, if you're going to use a white backdrop be sure to light it too otherwise you won't get white, you'll get wrinkles.

What I would do... since I'm an available light girl is put her in front of a big bright window and blow out the background like this...



(There are some other shots like this on my site.)

Also check out Joy Moody If you want a little inspiration.

Hope that helps!

Thanks Paige! Beautiful image! That is much more my style...I am definitely planning on using some window light. I just want to have all my bases covered - and she emphasized having white / black backgrounds. I figure I will do please her with the typical black/white backgrounds and try some other stuff with available light (window light) etc. Thank you for your inspiration and the link! I hope I have fun...I am soooo nervous...

+1 and I like flash use with a black background (the first shot in the maternity section of my website is my favorite of that look - which was my very first maternity section about 18 mos. ago... haven't done any since over a year ago so my examples might look a bit ghetto hahaha).

what about something like this? just put her in a dark room and place a flash behind her.




//ed

I LOVE these suggestions! I am going to have to play around with lighting stuff before the weekend!

Any suggestions on portable backdrops?

Besides don't use one? OK. Seriously. Huuuuge pain in the...

Use light fabric and painters tape (the blue stuff) and the very, very small yellow tipped clamps in the tool aisle at Home Depot. They're like turbo clothes pins. You can tape/clamp frabic up over doors, fences outside, sofas, chairs, lots of things. And no purchasing/lugging around a backdrop stand. Unless, you want that to be your thing. There are some great photogs that work the whole "portable studio" thing.

.........

And Ed, I loooove those images!

I LOVE YOU!!! I was dreading using any form of background stand...its not really my style and I so don't want to waste my money on something i will use once... I don't know WHY i didn't think of painters / gaffers tape. It really is a photographers best friend. You rock. I think I am so nervous I am not thinking very clearly. Im a dork.

Gaffer's tape is really agressive. Watch out for that. If you must use it on something that could be damaged, rub it on your clothes a few times to get it less sticky (and all linty!). Stick with painter's tape. Get it? Stick! Bad joke.

ha! yeah, i wouldn't use gaffers tape on someones wall for sure. That could be bad news.

Ed's (the other Ed above) images are the bomb! Great work. Here are some of mine from a recent shoot:

Nice work Eddie! Her skin looks fabulous! Looks like you used 1 light to camera right, yes?

Yes, that's correct. Normally I will place another light to the left and behind the subject to get a little rim light going on the skin and some in the hair. But in this case, I wanted a very "quiet" sort of light, like a shaft of window light hitting into a dark room.

really stunning work. i can't get over how perfect her skin looks (in a non-plasticky way!)

I love doing maternity shots, they're fun.

For backdrops, I have a length of white fabric and a length of black. I shoot in my livingroom, and have hooks on the ceiling, but curtains work too, or walls. I also stand on a chair to take lying down pictures.

I first ask the client if she's ok with being naked, or how much she wants to take off. Some clients are ready to get naked immediately, some start with clothes and then begin to remove them as the shoot progresses. I really like the white buttoned up shirt look - I even have one in my set of stuff. I also have some lengths of shiny/pretty fabric I got from an Indian dress shop for the wind-around-the-boobs-and-hips-shot.

A lot of pregnant mamas have skin that is discoloured/stretch marks etc. I find spot healing tool and noiseware really help take care of that.

Awesome! Congratulations! I have a portable backdrop stand and a few cheap-o backdrops (off white and black) if you want to come grab them. As long as your session doesn't interfere with mine (evening of the 7th), you can borrow my light stand, umbrella & Pocket wizards too. I have only used my backdrops for a couple of sessions - I like natural light & surroundings, but I've had the ones requesting a few with the backdrops, so I bought some cheap stuff. You're welcome to it, just let me know!

Dang, I wish I lived near you, Autumn

Seriously! you have no idea...and I am her second photograher and this is how she treats me i feel so lucky....

We use a black velvet backdrop and take it to the client's home. I have found that mama is far more comfortable at home than in a studio.

Here is a thread from a while back which may give you some inspiration:
http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index...pic=7960&hl

Have fun!

-Christobal

Thanks Christobal - that is super helpful! I am also going to her home - just worried about where/how to hang the backdrop. I love the suggestions of the clips and stuff, but what do i clip it to?? I am worried it will fall apart....

We use light stands with a crossbar and spring clamps to hold it all together. Yes, it is cumbersome, bulky and takes time to set up. You can find them online or at your local camera shop.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9392...rt_A_Stand.html

Tape is great, if you know the client very well. It does the job and doesn't leave any residue behind. Although, we always clamp the backdrop to a crossbar connected to light stands.

Oh yea, a black velvet backdrop is a little pricey but it really absorbs the light.

I posted this in the old thread by accident (doh!)... so I'm duplicating it here:

that's felt???? i'm impressed! wow. I love your work Kimberly. Thanks for that.

Yes ma'am, felt it is! To make it look more like a wall, I added filter->noise->median (about 12 or so) and then gaussian blur (about 3). Then I reduced opacity and added a layer mask to erase away the blur from the subject.

Here's another quick example of using felt, some clamps, some white beadboard and a baseboard (both from home depot). This was kind of a shoddy job of putting it all together, but you get the idea. I don't use backdrops often enough to justify the cost of purchasing... more stuff.








thanks for loving my work, miss V-- you're so sweet .

Thanks for posting your setup. That's great. Home Depot and I are friends