Hiding a pregnant belly?? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4.0L IS USM Lens

11/24/2005 04:29:14 PM · #1

Alright, my cousins was engaged to her boyfriend and had a date set out to be married when she found out she was pregnant. They married in a courthouse instead and now my aunt wants me to take their picture together for the newspaper and for send-outs but she also wants me to mask the pregnant belly. They want it casual, so I'm planning to have her wear black long-sleeve shirt and perhaps use a scarf (the guy in a black jacket/shirt and a white undershirt) but I really dont know how to mask a pregnant belly. How would anyone else do this??

mesmeraj

11/24/2005 04:33:58 PM · #2

how big is she?
what about with them both with their backs to the camera and turning around thier head and shoulders to face you.

Germaine

Canon EOS-7D Mark II

11/24/2005 04:35:36 PM · #3

Does it have to be a full-length shot? What about a picture of the happy couple from the waist up or a little above the waist. Or sitting at a table? Maybe have her sitting (wearaing something flowing) and him standing?

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR

11/24/2005 04:38:00 PM · #4

She's over 5 months, so she's definatly visible. That's an interesting strategy and I'll probably try it, but I think they will lean more towards wanting to face the camera. Thanks!

aznym

Fujifilm X-T3

11/24/2005 04:38:56 PM · #5

DO you really have to hide reality?

mesmeraj

11/24/2005 04:41:24 PM · #6

Sarah i PM'd you a couple of samples that would work too.

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

11/24/2005 04:41:32 PM · #7

What a shame that some people can't face reality in this day and age. When we got married in 1970, my wife was 6 months pregnant and was showing a healthy lump. We didn't hide it or even try.

Guess there are still some prudish narrow minded people in this modern world after all.

Steve

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR

11/24/2005 04:48:01 PM · #8

Originally posted by xion:

DO you really have to hide reality?

Please don't misread the situation- my cousin isn't like a young teenager with an acidental birth so they had to get married. She's in her thirties and they've been planning to get married for a while, but were going to wait about another year so that they could go somewhere like Rome or Italy, but since she found out she's pregnant they decided to just marry now and celebrate like they wanted later. They're very happy about the baby and I told them that pregnant belly shots can come out looking nice, but they just don't want a pregnant belly in there and I wasn't going to debate them.

aznym

Fujifilm X-T3

11/24/2005 04:52:28 PM · #9

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans - John Lennon.

It would be nice if we all faced life and showed the world how it was really like for us.
That was my point. No pretence.

11/24/2005 04:55:49 PM · #10

Could you possibly hide the belly with a nice floral arrangement?

Edit: Other ideas... dress jacket, facing backwards in a chair, crop at above belly level, dark (preferably black) clothing w/ black background, reclining pose w/ groom placed sitting in front of belly area

Just some brain storming, hope some of those help.

Message edited by author 2005-11-24 17:10:52.

mesmeraj

11/24/2005 05:01:21 PM · #11

It is not a photographers place to judge the moral or social ethics of a client. If you object with something the client wants, you simpley do not take the job (unless of course it is something illegal, but this is not).
Sarah is fine with them choosing not to show the pregnancy, and has asked for tips on how to do so. Judging her client does not in any way assist her.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

11/24/2005 05:02:42 PM · #12

Originally posted by mesmeraj:

I agree completely.

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

11/24/2005 05:09:33 PM · #13

Of course, I forgot. Do anything for a client, cos they buy your next lens. Sorry, but I don't do life like that. Why bother with the photos in the first place if they happen to show something that happened, but doesn't fit with how they want things to look. Why not knock a few pounds off here and there, make the groom a foot taller??

Is that what people want as a photog?? To be a lackey to a client or to record an event as it was? Maybe that's why I don't do clients.

Steve

Message edited by author 2005-11-24 17:10:04.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

11/24/2005 05:42:01 PM · #14

Let's not turn this into a debate. Let's help Sarah with her question.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

11/24/2005 05:48:12 PM · #15

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Let's not turn this into a debate. Let's help Sarah with her question.

Exactly. From the story told it's not the conclusion some are jumping to. Sheesh! This is not journalistic photography, it's a bride/groom shot for the wedding album or whatever. Give them what they want.

As for suggestions, I'm sorry I can't offer anything in addition to what has already been mentioned. I'm sure you'll come up with some good ideas. Also, try things even if you don't think it won't work to their satisfaction. You never know.

Good luck.

Message edited by author 2005-11-24 17:48:36.

taterbug

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

11/24/2005 06:04:48 PM · #16

How good are you at cloning in photoshop? :-)

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

11/24/2005 06:05:32 PM · #17

You ask a question here, it will be a debate.

No-one said it was journalistic, but photos of a couple at a wedding. Why not just change the main characters to others more photogenic?

Do you take photos as they are on the day or make them up using PS? I guess it depends on what you are after. I just fail to see the point in all these suggestions when the photos already exist of that event.

Steve

jpochard

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

11/24/2005 06:07:26 PM · #18

Good luck with your shots and let us know how they turn out.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

11/24/2005 06:07:49 PM · #19

Formerlee, I think you need to read the original post again. The photos aren't at a wedding but later, after the fact and for a newspaper.

By 'journalistic' I mean showing what is now at the moment of the photo being taken. The picture is for the newspaper to document an event that has already happened. How much time has passed, who knows.

Message edited by author 2005-11-24 18:10:01.

David.C

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

11/24/2005 06:20:41 PM · #20

The first thought I had was tight headshots (lovingly looking at each other, laying across one another, that sort of thing) -- doesn't have to include anything below the shoulders.

However, if they want a full length shot I would suggest props. Floral arrangements are traditional for such shots and work well, but another approach is to ask what the couple like doing together and use the 'tools of the trade' so to speak. The success of the approach would depend on what they spend time doing (motorcross, for example isn't very romantic). The success of using props to hide something depends on making it look natural instead of trying to hide something -- the familiarity of the props would help tremendously.

David

blemt

Nikon D70

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Nikon

11/24/2005 06:53:22 PM · #21

Like it or not you gotta do what the client requests. In any line of work, failure to do so results in lack of employment. :)

With that said, I'm thinking head/chest shot. Also do a couple full length shots and just see if they decide they like em. Couple facing eachother, his arms around her. That could look wicked cool, and even if they don't use it for the paper, I bet they like it down the road.

11/24/2005 08:20:56 PM · #22

Hey- thanks for all the ideas! I think we're going to try coats, along with other things (both full length shots and cut-off shots, with coats and without, an array of poses and props).

I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but there's really nothing hurtful or horrible going to happen. I'm just taking pictures for my cousin as a family favor- no money involved, meaning that extra lens is coming out right out of my grocery money. My cousin has already sent a sonigram shot to everyone who they will send this photo to, so is in no way trying to hide her pregnancy from the world. She just wants a nice photo to send and to put with her announcement and I respect that. I'll be honest I didn't expect a debate to form, as I was just hoping to get some advice from photographers and know there are some really great ones on here, but I'm not that bothered because everyone is entitled to their opinions and I can understand why things were said.

Anyways, thanks again sooo much for the ideas, I really appreciate them and you can bet they'll all be used! (I'm in for a long morning :-p)