Ok, so it’s not actually Tuesday–but this post couldn’t wait.  I received a request from a reader who just commented on one of my older posts, asking to see a before and after of my ‘baby on a Harley’ shot.  I love hearing from readers, and I am really passionate about the topic of safety when photographing newborns.  I think it’s important for photographers and parents alike to see what it really looks like behind the scenes, and to understand how important Photoshop skills are in ensuring a beautiful end product without risking the safety of the baby.

So here is the before.  You can see that grandma is behind the motorcycle, with her hand on the baby, spotting the entire time.  At no time does she take her hand from the baby.  And standing just outside the frame is the baby’s father spotting as well.  This was a while ago, but if I remember correctly, I used a composite of two images.  You see how the grandma has her hand on the lower part of the baby’s back?  For the second shot I had the father come in behind the motorcycle, but this time he positioned himself to the right and held the baby on his upper back.  The reason I did this is because I wanted a clean shot of the baby’s head and back against the gray backdrop; I then merged the two photos together to make one uninterrupted line.

I hope you found this post to be helpful.  Thoughtful comments are always welcome, so leave me some blog love if you’re so inclined.

And if you really liked this post, please take a moment to Like me on Facebook.  Thanks!  :-D  Sandy