Leah informed me recently that it’s time to take the 21-week pregnancy photo. In fact, I think it was this morning. I told her I’d grab my camera and take the picture right there in the bathroom as she did her makeup, but it wasn’t what she had in mind. We haven’t been taking weekly pregnancy photos so far, but it seems like I should be building up a set of shots for posterity’s sake (I understand the second child never gets as much attention as the first…you should see Rachel’s sad, barely-filled-out baby book). Fact is, I really like taking pictures of Leah, pregnant or not. But she almost always finds fault with anything I shoot.
Lord knows there are enough pregnancy poses out there. Some, as you might guess, are more pleasing than others. As I don’t have any fancy lighting kits to turn night to day at the house, and since I so love a nice, diffuse natural light, I’m thinking I’ll go for something involving our upstairs bedroom (no, not THAT kind of picture, Nathan). It has a nice southern exposure that lets in lots of light, and with all this snow on the ground, the rays will be bouncing around like crazy. I’ve shot there before, but not as often as I’d like. Ava always wants to jump on the bed when she’s up there, though sometimes I can calm her down long enough for a quick one:
I’ll just have to see what Leah’s game for. Photography is such a nothing-ventured-nothing-gained pursuit. Perhaps I can bring her out of her shell a bit.
View Comments so far ↓
1 Nathan Pralle // Jan 14, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Why do I always get blamed for the dirty thoughts? I say you are provoking me. I hadn’t yet formed a single idea like that until you said something. Now….well, now we’ve gone to hell.
I am fond of three kind of pregnancy photos:
1. The older sibling shot…hugging the belly, kissing it, making faces at it (Ava’d excel at that one). I’ve seen one where the older sibling was drawing their conception of what was inside on the belly using washable markers…that was kinda cute.
2. The obligatory “father shots” in which the father is doing pretty much the same sort of things. (well, maybe not the drawing, but you know what I mean)
3. The sexy/sensual shots (you knew that was coming). But, seriously, so many women feel like their belly is something disfiguring and it’s not…it’s a very beautiful thing and women are pretty hot when they’re pregnant, at least most men tend to think so. I think some women get lost in the maternal aspects of it and forget that they’re still beautiful, sensual people despite that. Photos that capture these are really great because you get both sides of the equation.
One other idea I had was to have Leah hold up the smallest pair of baby clothes that she can find against her belly and give us one of those worried looks like, “My god, this’ll never fit my basketball!” I’d laugh, at least.
Good reference website, but most of those photos are too…maternal for me. Yeah, yeah, so they’re mothers, don’t get me wrong, but I mean the sitting-in-a-chair-knitting sort of maternal, the someday-Pat-Sajack-will-make-me-sweat type of mother. *shiver*
2 Nathan Pralle // Jan 14, 2009 at 3:41 pm
P.S. — On the “nothing ventured nothing gained” aspect, I agree. I just thank the stars that digital was developed so I can be safe in not wasting $5 billion in film for stupid shots of my dirty socks that sounded like a good idea, but turned out to be shit.
3 map // Jan 14, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I typically don’t let people dis Pat Sajak on this blog, but I’m going to make an exception for you, Nathan.
4 Nathan Pralle // Jan 14, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Just because he hit Vanna before you got to her, Mark, doesn’t mean he’s a better man than you. You could kick his ass at Risk anyday.
5 Nathan Pralle // Jan 14, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Ideas have been muddling around in my head…..
Apart from either the knit-sweater look or the lacy-undergarment look that most preg pics seem to fall into, how about something more….hip? How about an outfit you’d wear to a club? Pleather? Jeans and a white t-shirt? Business suit?
Seems not everything baby has to be lace and pastel.
Maybe a Woodstock, free-love recreation, with leah covered in mud, rose-colored glasses, and a peace necklace?
I’m just tossin’ them out here. You catch what comes near ya.
6 JWH // Jan 15, 2009 at 10:08 am
no ideas here…
but, nathan, i can’t decide whether i think you’re funny or offensive.
what do you do? do you have a job?
7 Nathan Pralle // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I assure you, my intentions are purely good and humorous. I would hope that I am not coming across otherwise, although, like Mark, I like to ride the fine edge sometimes just for the reaction.
I am a software programmer/sysadmin by trade working for a pharmaceutical corporation.
8 map // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Now ask her what she does, Nathan!
9 Nathan Pralle // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:14 pm
From the link, I’d have to guess cook, maid, daycare, and poopy patrol, but I could be wrong.
10 map // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Heh heh. This is going to get GOOD!
11 kim painter // Jan 15, 2009 at 2:07 pm
i am so conflict avoidant…see you all in a week or so! (nah – i’ll have to tune in and see what comes next.)
12 JWH // Jan 15, 2009 at 2:10 pm
don’t forget dog walker, personal shopper, and amateur political commentator… but i’m on maternity leave.
have decided, nathan, that you’re only mildly offensive… and i may be a bit of a prude.
13 map // Jan 15, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Motherhood has softened you, Webb.
14 Nathan Pralle // Jan 15, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Ah, so I was right. My own dear wife is the maintainer of the house, child, and general sanity as well, so I figured it’d be best not to piss off the queen of the mansion.
You’re not a prude, Jen, just out of practice. Keep reading Mark’s posts and so forth and you’ll be back in the swing of things in no time.
15 map // Jan 15, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I don’t suppose Jen needs any more exposure to my bawdiness by this time.
16 JWH // Jan 15, 2009 at 3:36 pm
i’m so soft these days, i feel like a sell-out… but interestingly enough, i find i don’t mind it so much.
am well aquainted with the depth and breadth of mark’s “bawdiness”, nathan. the truth is, he’s a little softer these days too…
17 map // Jan 15, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Ain’t that the damn truth? Though you’d have a hard time convincing my wife of as much.
18 lauren/ paida // Jan 16, 2009 at 12:10 pm
One thing I learned from my 365 project is that if I went into the shoot with a clear idea of what I wanted I was ALWAYS disappointed. Being able to do that – at least with people – I think is a sign of being a real professional photographer and having the “fancy lighting” stuff as you described.
My suggestion is pretty simple – just follow her around with your camera. Lord knows she looks good enough preggers that you are bound to get some wonderful photos. I love seeing Ava in there too.
My friend used to write on her belly with a marker the number of weeks she was – they turned out pretty cool.
19 lauren/ paida // Jan 16, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Did I sound bitter when I said Leah looks great? Because really I’m not. Just because by the 20th week my face had swelled to double it’s normal size…. I mean I’m happy for her that she looks like a fricken fashion model who stuck a soccer ball down her shirt….. really I am……
20 Wired Shout // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:33 am
nice
21 talktalk1 // Oct 29, 2009 at 11:33 am
nice
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