Last weekend I joined a group session at Studio Blanco to shoot some maternity photography. Having shot a handful of maternity sessions in the past I wanted to try something different this time around, focusing more on mood and tone – less high key and instead using darker low key setups for a more intimate feeling.
I also had the opportunity to shoot more natural light, which is something that I never do when hiring a well-stocked studio and it’s something that I’m glad I did. I’ve been a fan of Sue Bryce’s glamour photography for a few years now and she shoots almost exclusively natural light as it gives such a nice aesthetic – something I’d love to emulate!
I also made use of a continuous lamp which is something I love doing – there’s something nice about seeing with your own eyes the how the light falls without having to press the trigger. As a result there’s something much more calming about continuous light sources for both the model and photographer, giving for much more intimacy.
As much as I really wanted to push myself and try new things such as new lighting styles, I still managed to land squarely back in my comfort zone of high-key portraits and head shots!
You might notice that I’ve uploaded only a few images – that’s because I didn’t shoot many. I’ve started purposely slowing down during shoots and being more conscious about making an image. In short, I’m being picky so I can train myself to have a better hit rate. It was nice to stand back and watch others work too!
Our model for this session was the lovely Silver – she gives 110% and comes highly recommended.
