Little Buckarooby
pearlseyesComment by truogre: *Critique Club*
I only half-hearted agree with the votes you recieved here - To me, it is alot like a tribute to great young man who was a photographer and a cowboy, and would most likely have appreciated your work here. Not much can be done about that I guess.
Technically, it is a good strong pose, great expression and really good texture added by the barn door. The lighting is pretty darned good too.
The only problem I can see is that the focus is great on high contrast areas (thumbs, bandana), but a little soft on the hat, face (eyes) and body. I have always been told that softness in a portrait is something to strive for - but the eyes need to be pin sharp. Considering your model (a real cutie by the way) thought the game was take the hat off (not keep it on long enough to get a photo) I am guessing you used auto focus - and it worked really well for the higher contrast areas. If the opportunity comes up again, try manual focus. With a little practice, it can really make a difference.
Another suggestion might be to come in a bit tighter, he has great eyes might be good to take advantage when you can - plus there are some sharpening techniques that the pros use to really make them stand out even more.
Overall and considering the circumstances, a really good shot!! Kids are hard models to work with, but you have a great subject and apparently alot of patience, keep plugging away!
Russ
