Love the light at sunset....
by StormyWeathers

Comment by macrothing:


Critique Club Critique

First Impressions
The light is nice. A bit of a snapshot feel to the image, however the quality and lighting pull it beyond that 'realm'. I gave this a 4 during voting.

Photograph Information, Technicals & Composition Review
Photographic technicals all look to have worked quite well. What would really strengthen this image is a refined crop, or, in retrospect (so as to speak), to be able to 'align' the background behind him, especially the head area, to complement him.

As is, whilst I like the vertical framing and think this does suit this, I think a tighter crop may have given this a little extra. I did try it, but after doing so not sure, it changes the feel of the image. I guess it depends what you were aiming for. The shadow is interesting on the left, but it is 'chopped', the rocks are a nice element, and I like the 'boyhoodness' of his clothing, including his sandals. If the quality is there, this image likely lends itself well to a head and shoulders crop, especially to really showcase that nice catch of light in his eyes.

Comments, Score & Placement Review
373/419 is fairly low down the pack and your score of 4.92 seems a bit harsh for the quality of the image. My only guess (before reading the comments) is that people may not have lingered long enough to appreciate the interesting elements to the image.

All your comments are helpful, one in particular extremely so.

Summary
Of course a personal image, which I'm sure will be treasured, but given a similar opportunity again, just a fraction check on the surroundings and composition and, if possible without ruining 'a moment', some encouragement or direction to allow the boy's character to shine through a little more.

Love the light at sunset....
by StormyWeathers

Comment by Teafran:
This is one of those images where you don't want to be hypercritical, but at the same time a rare opportunity was missed - could'a, woulda, should'a which is always the enemy of a hobby that is time and place dependant. In this case, the lighting was perfect, but the setting was, unfortunately, the same color cast as the subject. What should be a very healthy looking golden skin tone is lost in the background as it's very similar - there isn't a direct contrast. This type of color works best when it's evenly applied onto a subject and here, the part of the subject's face that is directly lit by the sun is uneven and blotchy. You can see this by comparing the even tone of the legs to the face. There is also a direct focal point issue from the feet to the head - the head is just slightly out of focus which is a DOF problem due to the angle at which it was taken - which could account for the blotchy color. A little more height might have solved the DOF problem, but not the lighting issue. Now, having said all this from a technical perspective, from an artistic standpoint, this is a very good photograph - very natural looking pose and subject. While time is always an issue with photography, time taken to carefully examine the setting and technical issues would have made this a top contender for a prize.

My Delicate Side
by StormyWeathers

Comment by mandyturner:
Cute baby and definatly fits the challenge, just isn't the best angle IMO.

My Delicate Side
by StormyWeathers

Comment by Rachel34:
adorable......a beatiful capture and a treasured family keepsake

My Delicate Side
by StormyWeathers

Comment by AzCKelly:
Aww, Very Cute side shot!! Love the softness here and the use of space is great.

My Delicate Side
by StormyWeathers

Comment by neenee1999:
Precious child! Look at those lashes, geez wish I could get those without buying them :)

Slippin away
by StormyWeathers

Comment by Juniper366:
I like this photo, but would have preferred a slower shutter speed to smooth out the water and make the photo more mysterous.

Holy sh@# where did the time go???????
by StormyWeathers

Comment by wkoffel:
always works faster for me if I drop the boxers too. ;-) would've gotten an extra point from me, if you'd been so bold, but I suspect not everyone gives points for being bold, like I do. Otherwise, the shot could have used to be a bit more sharp, the exposure and contrast are very good.

Holy sh@# where did the time go???????
by StormyWeathers

Comment by _wu_:
To be consistant you'd have to put the pants down along with trousers.
Out of focus - could have take one more minute to get it sharp

Slippin away
by StormyWeathers

Comment by daveit:
out of focus