Adam and his baby soother

Adam is 5 weeks old today! Last Wednesday we saw his first smile, or perhaps it was trapped wind because he was just after feeding but it was a beautiful sight to behold. He has smiled since too, and was especially cheerful this morning!

Adam loves his baby soother though. He sucks on it like Maggie out of the Simpsons does. Non-stop and with feeling!
If a soother or dummy isn’t nearby and it’s available, a hair dryer works wonders for relaxing him. The sound soothes him and he can go from screaming the house down to docile and a gurgling baby in seconds when the hair dryer is switched on. It’s magic.

Technique: This is a high key portrait created using two layers.
1. Original image is the bottom layer.
2. Duplicate that layer.
3. Convert top layer to b/w using channel mixer.
4. Apply Gaussian blur to the top layer. I used a 75 pixel wide blur.
5. Change mode of top layer to screen.
6. Add white layer mask to top layer and reveal eyes from original image by painting over them with a black brush. Use an opacity of 10%.
7. Merge layers and save. Layers should be separate when resizing so you can unsharp mask the bottom layer.

Hope that is of use!

User tags: "babies with soother pictures", "picture of baby soother", "his baby", "picture of babys soothers", "soother,baby", "baby soothers", "happy baby soothers "

15 comments on ' Adam and his baby soother '

Great shot. What a cute kid.

Written by Anthony on May 26, 2007 at 6:02pm
Thanks Anthony! I think I hear him crying again…

Written by Donncha O Caoimh on May 26, 2007 at 10:50pm
A very handy technique. My Adobe Elements5 software has the capacity to do your method. Tried it on some flowers that are high key lit, it works a treat TY. Regards from a sunny late autumn Sunday afternoon in New Zealand.

Written by edt on May 27, 2007 at 2:46am
What a handsome boy you have there. Who does he favor?
You or Jacinta? My money goes on the mother. Pat & Linda

Written by Flickr: patio_ on May 27, 2007 at 7:01am
Bless my cotton socks, my soft focus nephew!
Looking forward to seeing ye again soon.
Love Suz xx

Written by Suzanne on May 27, 2007 at 9:42pm
Congrats donnacha. are you getting any sleep?

Written by Flickr: frenchsvilla on May 28, 2007 at 3:49am
patio - hehe. I don’t really know! People say he looks like me but I can’t tell.

frenchsvilla - sleep? On Saturday night he was feeding every 2 hours but last night we did manage to get about 4 hours sleep in one go. It was heaven!

Written by Flickr: xeer on May 28, 2007 at 5:14am
That pictures is simply amazing. He looks like a little angel sent from heaven!

Written by Baby Store on January 22, 2008 at 5:49am
Absolutely gorgeous! Mine is now 14 months, and she’s a little darling.

Written by Jane on January 25, 2008 at 9:06am
Your baby looks gorgeous and the pic looks amazing. btw, thanks for the techniques sharing.

Written by baby websites on February 12, 2008 at 5:51pm
What an amazing picture - so cute!

.. and thanks for those tips on to recreate the effect.

Written by Wicker on February 12, 2008 at 6:42pm
Hey, your boy is really handsome, mine is 18 month old now

Written by Goonie on April 29, 2008 at 12:18pm
A little Angel from heaven? What a beatuful baby

Written by Vill on May 09, 2008 at 2:21pm