by Tatyana Tomsickova
The idea for this picture came from my “daily challenge” project. The theme for my photograph that day was “breakfast,” and I wanted it to be innovative.
I woke up early and started preparing pancakes and waffles. While I was cooking breakfast, I was thinking about my theme and how to make something original. My husband was busy entertaining the kids. The biggest source of entertainment for my two-year-old is to watch some funny movies on the laptop. I heard my husband say that he needed his laptop to read something on the Internet, and he would give my son Mommy’s laptop to watch the movie. It was then the idea popped into my mind. That was it — breakfast in bed! I decided I would shoot in our bedroom since we have beautifully soft morning light in there. Also, the bed was big enough for all of us and the walls were white, perfectly suiting my idea of a nice, fresh, morning breakfast in bed for the whole family.Fortunately, the bedsheets where already white, so I did not have to change them. No other light source was needed since the white bedsheets and walls acted as reflectors. I quickly prepared the tray with the food, fruit balls, jam and honey. The breakfast had to be in a visible place since that was the theme. I also quickly borrowed two laptops from my mother and brother who live next door, and then prepared the coffee. Once I was ready, I quickly put white clothes on the children so that they fit into the rest of the image.
"The coffee cup in Mom’s hand was essential to show that she was actually enjoying her breakfast in bed. Dad’s cup on the nightstand showed that he was too busy checking the news."
The older boy and dad had to be shirtless to show that it was a cozy, warm environment. The coffee cup in Mom’s hand was essential to show that she was actually enjoying her breakfast in bed. Dad’s cup on the nightstand showed that he was too busy checking the news. The baby had to be put on his belly when everything was almost ready for shooting, because little kids that age (three months) get tired very quickly. Otherwise, by the time I got everyone ready and in position, he may have been lying on the laptop instead of looking at it.I placed the tripod in front of the bed. The tray worked best at Dad’s feet. The older boy was actually looking at a movie on his laptop, so he was kept busy. When everything else was ready, the baby was positioned on his belly in front of the laptop. The remote control was in Mom’s hands. I shot about ten photos. This one has the best variation in emotions where Mom is happy, the baby is surprised, the little boy is concentrated, and Dad is satisfied. I intentionally left the two picture frames on the nightstands to show that this is the family bedroom with a comfortable, homey atmosphere. After the shoot, the breakfast was quickly eaten and we enjoyed a very nice and lazy family day!
I used Photoshop to process the image, but it didn't require a lot of editing.
1) I increased the exposure a bit, brought the Curves up, leveled the lighting, and deleted a few unnecessary and disturbing picture frames from the wall using the Clone Stamp tool.
2) I also cropped the picture a bit, so the children's beds just outside the frame would not be seen.
3) The lens had a strong vignette at that focal length, which I had to correct.
4) Finally, I did some light Dodging with a soft Brush to get the background completely even. I found the final result very satisfying — it turned out just as well as I had anticipated.
I am thirty years old, happily married and the mother of two boys. Born in Bulgaria, I graduated from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. I traveled and lived abroad for a few years — in the USA, England and the Czech Republic. I met my husband while working as an office manager in Prague, where I currently live and work. My boys are the reason I started shooting professionally.
My boys are the reason I started shooting professionally. I have been interested in photography for most of my life, but did not have the financial means to buy a good camera. So when my first son was born, I received another precious gift from my husband and my sister — my first DSLR. I have been shooting for three years now. It is my passion and my life. My boys are my inspiration, and I am always looking for new, interesting places and new ideas.
