Egg

[CLKunst]

Comments & critiques welcomed. Suggestions cheerfully explored

[MB1]

It looks just slightly dark on my monitor here at work, I am sure it will look fine on my MAC at home. It could perhaps use more contrast and I wish she wasn't wearing a necklace.

I bet she loves it.

[Overbeyond]

The hand look weird almost as if they were not her own.. making it look a little too posed looking.
The tones seem ok at my end.
It's a nice picture for the mum to be and a nice reminder that women do all the hard work and us men get away with doing pretty well sfa.

[GB1]

Interesting shot. I think I would prefer a slightly better lit shot. Watch her hands, it almost looks suggestive (oops I guess that shows where my mind is sometimes). I like the usage of black and white. I think you cropped out her head adds to the shot for it makes me focus on her pregnancy.

[freygr]

The lighting and it does look dark to me. Other than that the composition looks fine.

[Alison]

Dark? Well, I'm looking at the highlight when you say that. That's gonna be way blown if you try to brighten it. You might have to do some selective curves so as not to blow the highlight.
Looks great on my monitor by the way.

I guess you could have had the hands kinda hugging the belly instead of how they are right now. More affectionate looking that way I think. Kinda like this.
Not the most perfect shot, I know, but I'm just trying to give you a visual on what I mean about the hands.

And, I'm sorry, but I have to ask...is this you?

[MB1]

And, I'm sorry, but I have to ask...is this you?

Cool if it is..........

[CLKunst]

Thanks for the great responses so far, please keep them coming! This is a friend of mine and the fruit of her new marriage. I went traveling west last summer for her wedding in Aspen, Colorado. She was actually very reluctant when I offered to do the pregnancy portrait as a baby shower gift so I backed off and said we could do an anniversary portrait instead with her husband, which turned out lovely. I was packing up to leave and she said 'Don't you want to take pictures of my belly?" Oh, OK, of course I do. It was impromptu and shot in the soon to be baby's soon to be room. I really wanted to show off the curve of her "egg" so the highlight is critical to this one and the overall darker tone isn't a deal killer for me ~ all the necessary details are there. I'll fiddle with the contrast balance some more and post an edit this evening. Overall I love that the egg shape is so dominant but wondered if the awkward limbs and headless mommy would be too much of a draw back.

Alison/Tom - She isn't having a bad pregnancy but she's not into it like I was with mine and seems a little awkward about it all when we speak. I think that may be at work here in my subconscious and showing up in the photo what with awkward arms and things. No judgments on my friend of course, I know she's going to be a great Mom. I wanted her to wrap her belly in a little hug but instead I got the booby clutch, oh well.