Maternity Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago I finally got together with Peek and Adam as they were building baby girl's crib to do our maternity photo shoot. Here are just a few of my favorites presented without a whole lot of commentary except this: it was super rainy outside and so my shutter speed had to be INCREDIBLY low. I had the ISO kicked up to 3200, f/4, and shutter speed of 1/160 (at best) and then all the way down to 1/30 at worst. Luckily, Peek and Adam cooperated and didn't move around a ton. Buffy the bulldog and Miles the puggle, however... well, they infiltrated a bunch of shots. Doing a maternity photo shoot with these cute puppies though made it all the more interesting and adorable.

In fairness to Buffy (below) her full name is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and she slayed me in some of these pictures (see what I did there?). Don't get any ideas though, she is already betrothed to my Walter.

Guided by two hands for ever. It took two to make this little pumpkin butt, so needing two people to guide her through life, just seems to make sense to me.

Those faces.

I feel like this is how they got pregnant... those looks are the exact ones they give each other in normal life. I think that is what I loved about doing this maternity photo shoot with people that I love so much: I was able to know when they were being genuine with each other and in turn, with me.

A girl and her shoes. Even from birth we all need shoes. Always. #mygendermakesmeloveshoes

Teamwork. Now and forever with this little Branz baby.

Photography Practice: Maternity Style

My dear friend Peek is expecting her first baby girl. She is just such a light in my life and I am RIDICULOUSLY excited to meet this little one. The day after I had a phone call with my friend Angela who spent about 2 hours talking to me about photography and what exposure is and how to take an actual picture, Peek came over for dinner. I forced her asked her to let me take just a few practice shots of her and some of them turned out pretty darn cute for it being dark as heck outside. (my shutter speed was like 1/13, ISO anywhere from 1600-3200, and F stop was alllllll the way down (prob around a 3 or 4). Now listen, kind reader. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING. This is literally the first time I have ever used a real camera and I am just trying to learn. So be kind, rewind, and read on.

Starting with my favorite one of the little 5 minute photo shoot is prob not the best idea, but I can't resist. Look at that face-- Peek's face! you bulldog lover, you-- well and Walter's face too I suppose.

This one is noticeably more blurry because Walter would not cooperate. (Shocker). With the shutter speed so low, the blur is inevitable! Peek, however, is adorable. Ack!

Just Peek and the baby chilling on the couch, looking ridic cute.

These next two are not the best in terms of blur/crispness, but I can literally hear her laugh when I look at them. Lurve.

Baby Love.

In these next two I tried kicking the shutter speed up to about 1/20 and you can see how much darker it is! This stuff actually works! WHO KNEW!?!??

This last one is super grainy because of the lack of light, but I think in Black & White it would look adorable. In fact... So how about you? Any fun pictures you've been taking lately? Any photography tips in general-- I mean tips that a kindergartener could understand.