More Time With Dad
by cbeller

Comment by whiteroom:
good resolution!

More Time With Dad
by cbeller

Comment by FirstAid:
Cherish every moment of it. It'll be gone before you know it.

They call me...Sexy!
by cbeller

Comment by Pug-H:
Or Scary.

They call me...Sexy!
by cbeller

Comment by magnetic9999:
who is this 'they'... ?

They call me...Sexy!
by cbeller

Comment by fotodude:
ok thats not funny its just scarry,

its a good image though doesn't really make me smile though.

Bedtime Candid
by cbeller

Comment by Artyste:
I missed this one in voting. Would have given it a 7 probably. Wish it had been bigger! Great candid, cute child :)

Bedtime Candid
by cbeller

Comment by cbeller:
Thanks for the comments. If you left a complimentary comment and I didn't tick it as "helpful" it's not because I didn't appreciate it.

Bedtime Candid
by cbeller

Comment by lozbeau:
this is soooo cute! and a great one for black and white!

Bedtime Candid
by cbeller

Comment by joebok:
I like the expression - I'm not so sure about the stuff on either side - I think that the blur tends to be a barrier for the eye to get to the person. Maybe you could have opened up a 1/2 stop or so too.

Precious Children - March
by cbeller

Comment by Artyste:
Hello from the Critique Club.

Initial Thoughts

A lovely photograph, but would love to see it larger.

Composition / Content

Composition is nice here. The off-centering really works, giving the photograph some depth. You've cropped the child's face nicely, although perhaps leaving the full chin in could have given more depth to the bottom of the image (showing the fall to the neck/chest.) The child himself is presented warmly, although the smile looks a bit forced, which is common. Sometimes presenting a look without a smile, if it seems more natural, can really help the mood of a photograph as well, but that's just a thought for the future, the smile does play well here.

Background

Nicely out of focus, and not cluttered, it adds to the feeling of depth around the face. As mentioned, I would have liked to have seen more at the bottom of the photo.

Camera Work - Technical

This is a very nice photograph technically. Nice exposure, good DOF, great focus. I think the eyes could have used more light, which could have been accomplished with a reflector or a reflective type surface.

Digital Processing

While your clarity is great, and contrast seems good for the background, I think that a little more highlight in the facial features and the eyes would have helped a bit. Maybe not so much on the facial features, but definitely in the eyes. Bringing the irises out would give the photo a great feel. I see that you did dodge the irises a little, but I think a bit more would have done wonders. Your neatimage work is good, I didn't get the feeling of it being over-smoothed, and there is still some nice texture in the skin.

Fits the Challenge

Hard to say that it doesn't fit the challenge, as I've seen many calenders that stick to subjects like this. I feel that the monthly connection is a bit weak, but that's entirely subjective.

My Opinion on the Photo

As mentioned, with a few minor tweaks, and perhaps a slightly larger presentation, this would go good in a calender of like images. It's a wonderfully warm and emotive photograph on it's own, and will be cherished by you and your family I'm sure.