DigaPixBlog

Photographing children, boys in particular, can be a challenge.  At a certain age they want to ham it up in front of the camera to the point that it is not worth the effort to try to get a serious image.  But there can be moments where they come across with personality and character.

This young man, apparently at a formal affair, was captured at one of those moments where his inner self and personality were showing through the outer child.  We can invasion him fifteen or twenty years from now as a key player is a similar function, perhaps as the bridegroom.  He looks so grown up, so serious and proud.

There are a couple of suggestions I would like to make to the photographer.  It might be nice if we could crop the image a little to take the subject a slightly more off the center of the composition.  If the photographer has access to a computer software package that will allow a little cloning the light above and to the right of center on the edge of the frame could be cloned out.

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There are many details the photographer has little or no control over at the time of the shoot.  In truth there are many details the photographer does not even notice until the image is printed or blown up on the screen.  But these imperfections can prove distracting to the viewer and take away from an otherwise wonderful photograph.

This is a delightful illustration of children at play.  This candied image catches the girls enjoying themselves on their own without adult direction of supervision.  This can be seen by the gathering of people in the back ground with their attention diverted in another direction.  This grab shot captures a natural moment and tells a strong story.  I particularly like the placement of the three subjects and the  rim lighting on their hair.

There are a few small distractions I would like to point out to the photo-artist.  The first thing that catches my eye is the white string on the sleeve of the child in front in the mouth of the young lady in the rear.  The front girl’s foot is tangent to the bottom edge of the frame.  This can be modified but it will take some cloning work.  The last thing I would note is the object on the ground behind the leg of girl number two.  This distraction could be eliminated.

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Photographing children can be fun but too often we only try to get a static likeness of the subject and lose their personality in the process.  Next time you want to shot a child (with a camera) try some candied images.  Let them playing and take your time.  They need to get used to the camera, eventually they will get used to the big eye of the lens and become children.

The little girl in this composition is not worried about the camera or smiling she just wants to have fun with her new found toy.  She is natural and charming.  The photo-artist has captured her concentration at play, the moment before she gets excited about her success in making a BIG bubble.

The outstanding thing about this image is her eyes.  The rest of the composition is soft but her eyes draw us into her concentration and joy.  The placement of her face and the toy in the upper third of the frame puts the viewer at the child’s level and in her world.

Unlike so many photos of our children or grand kids this photograph is universal and can be appreciated by anyone, not just friends and family.  This is defiantly an award winner.

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Casual environmental portraits are off taken without the subject’s knowledge or permission.  Many people feel uncomfortable having their picture taken by a stranger and have a tendency to stop what they are doing and avoid the photographer, thus loosing the moment.   

This photographer may have gotten the cooperation of this rodeo clown because he is used to being in the lime light and enjoys being the center of attention.  The Gabby Hazes caricature with his colorful costume and hobo appearance is an obvious choice of subjects.  His toothless smile adds to his persona of being a happy go lucky guy. 

The photographer did an excellent job of isolating our cowboy friend agents a simple background so that all our attention is drawn to the personality being photographed.  The conversion of the scarf to color adds to the hummer in this excellent environmental portrait.

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This is an outstanding portrait.  The placement of the subject well off center and cropped to about three fourths of the face gives a very natural and intimate feeling to the image.  The fact that he is looking down and out of the frame has the impression of a very sensitive young man.  The strong window lighting from the left almost blows out the texture of the skin but also adds to the warm yet moody environment. 

I feel that black and white was a good choice for this portrait.

A soft focus background with texture is very desirable in this scene.  However I would make one suggestion.  In the background there is a white line that appears to be touching his cheek, this is a little distracting. Perhaps the photographer would care to eliminate some of this using computer software.

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This is an interesting environmental portrait of a young man preparing his instrument for a performance.  He appears it be about ready to participate in some sort of Central European ethnic group’s musical presentation. I think it interesting that the photographer has selected tinted black and white for what must have been a scene with colorful costumes.  This tends to allow the composition of the photograph to stand on its own without the distraction of color. 

The male performer is intent on his preparation and draws us into his relationship with the instrument.  The shallow focus is well placed on the boy’s profile allowing the foreground and the background to be reduced in importance. 

The young woman in the background does add some additional information to the image however she has a pained excretion on her face.  I don’t think that is what the photographer intended.

I would suggest that the picture be cropped and the woman dropped out of the composition.  As always the photographer’s preference is the ultimate determiner of the final rendition.

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