Should It Stay, Or Should It Go...

Bryce Wilson

I did a fair amount of practicing with outdoor subjects last fall. I hope to capture a bit of the senior portrait market this spring/summer. I have spent the past few evenings reviewing the outdoor sessions I photographed with the intent of deciding which poses and scenes work well and which don't.

I'm on the fence on this one. I like it, but something bothers me. Not sure what.

Your opinion please. Should it stay as a pose or should it go.

Gotham

You're on the fence...he's in the fence. Sorry couldn't help myself... Horrible puns aside, I'm not loving the shot. The whole scene feels contrived. I prefer more authentic backgrounds...this doesn't feel like a place where this guy would actually hang out.

Moving Pictures

Gotham covered it. This looks like a kiddie playground. Not compatible for a senior shot. Kiddie shot? Yes. Dad and son shot? Yep. This context? Nope.

Bryce Wilson

Thanks peoples!

Now I know what was bothering me!

Mike J

A tighter crop and overlay some textture to give it some edge? Just thinking out load. My first reaction to the shot though as composed was that the hands look like puppy-dog paws.

VayCayMom

The grain of the wood is more in focus in some areas than the subject, it is mostly on the left side, along with the nails.

divamum

YES!! Trudy nailed what was buggging me, even though I was struggling to figure it out. Also, there's some daylight through the wood behind him that's bright enough to pull my attention...

zoomer

I think this spot would work for a girl....with her hands on the sides of the portal kind of peeking out.
Guys need more edge.....not so posey.....I know that makes a lot of sense .

wave01

heres my view my eyes are going between his hands and face. i should be drawn straight to his face. may be a tighter crop

AlTheKiller

The thing that I seemed to keep getting drawn to, is the position/placement of his hands.

Something about it is off to me.

Stella7d

I too find the hands very distracting and unnatural in their pose. I like the suggestion of a tighter crop and a texture layer to the background.

Bryce Wilson

Thanks for the input everyone. Things are being "re-thunk".

jeffreaux2

Its the wrong orientation.

Try a verticle crop in a 4x5 ratio. That will put his head around the upper 1/3. Keep the circle whole, but the sides should end up near the edges of the crop.

I do have to agree that this location would be more appropriate for a girl.

Bryce Wilson

Very good point Jeff!

From the feedback, I agree that for boy's it's a tosser. I will revisit it for females though.

This is one I did on another visit to the park with a female. It was photographed in portrait orientation. Although I don't feel it's a stellar shot of this girl, it does work better in my mind.

adbsgicom

I think the second works. First, she fills the space much better. Second your angle is much better. Third, the hands are much better...

wave01

I like this much better

Moving Pictures

I'd have to agree.

May I suggest you give a bit of credence to those gut feelings on the things that might bother you? I find in many areas, design/art and suchlike in particular, that our "feelings" are really subconscious processes trying to reach from the right-brain-intuitive evaluation into the left-brain-logical.