Blue Streakby
inspzilComment by karmat: CRITIQUE CLUB CRITIQUE
by karmat
Composition -- What better subject for a motion shot than a young child! If he (assuming it is a he) is anything like my son and nephews, most cameras/film don't have shutter speeds or iso fast enough to capture them without motion! I like the placement of the subject in the frame, as it gives the child somewhere to go before he runs out of frame. I also think the blue footy pajamas work well to identify the subject as a young child. The perspective of the camera works well because it is more on the child's level, and doesn't distort any of his features by making him look really small or really tall.
Technique -- Though I think the "total" blur meets the challenge, and it is an accurate rendition of you subject, I think having part of him in focus (hand, face, chest) would have made this picture more appealing to the audience. I can see, though, that not only was he moving forward, but all parts of him were moving as well, so it may not have been possible to do this. Also, there seems to be a large amount of grain in the background (well, throughout the picture, but especially noticeable in the background), and I am assuming that this is due to the ISO of 400. If possible, bumping the iso down may have eliminated some of the grain.
Overall Effect -- I think you have chosen a subject most people can identify with. Everyone with children knows how energetic they are most of the time, and how difficult it is to get a clearly focused shot of them! It also helps take me back to my own childhood of footy pajamas and running around the house like a banshee! As a result, you picture is one most people can readily relate to in some manner. I think the issue of the focus addressed above caused some folks to dismiss it before fully understanding it because there didn't seem to be anything in the frame to grab the viewer.
I hope this has been of some help!
karmat
Photographer found comment helpful.