[Kombisaurus]

I went to a birthday party yesterday. It was for the son of my close friends who was turning four (the son was, not my friends).

This is Rowan the birthday boy, as seen through a flyscreen door.



There's a bit more to this story, but it would be great to hear a couple of opinions on this shot just as it is before I talk more about the context surrounding it.

So.. just taking the shot at face value (don't try to guess the rest of the story or assume anything), what are your thoughts of it?

Thanks,
Adrian

[shuttertalk]

I think it's a great shot. The eyes are really engaging, and the screen door adds an element of mystery, a bit of cheekiness - as does the little bit of tongue poking out...

[Irma]

This comment was edited:

I am very sorry... I gave my critique comment on this picture... and this is the snapshot forum... I just realized about this...

Probably the question about the picture was not from the photographic point of view and I misunderstood ...

Sorry for my comment and I have deleted it...

[Schellamo]

Great catchlights and expression! I'd love to know how you got him to pull that face... All my photos of kids at the moment have either stunned mullet or hurry up and take the photo expressions!!

[Kombisaurus]

thanks for the comments everyone...
And Irma, there is no need to apologize at all. I read your original post and agreed with the points you made. I asked for your thoughts on the image, and you gave them. I'm always appreciative of *any* advice that might help improve my shots, regardless of which section of the forum I might post an image in.

Now, back to the image.

The reason this image really grabbed me and why I posted it is because of the photographer. I didn't take it. It was taken by Josh, the older brother of Rowan (the boy in the photo). Josh is seven years old.

Josh and I were outside looking for interesting things to photograph, and I gave Josh the camera to take some shots with. He walked over to the flyscreen door where Rowan was inside, he called Rowan over and then framed and took the shot. He then looked down at the LCD, realised it didn't turn out well so asked Rowan to stand *still* while he took a second shot. This is the second shot.

I was standing there watching this, and was really impressed at how Josh had obviously visualised the photo before he took it and then had the presence of mind to correct it with a second shot when he realised the first didn't turn out. Then when I later had a look at the photo I was gobsmacked at how good it was!

I posted it here without telling this story first because I really think its good enough to stand up beside anything an adult would take without us making any concessions for the age of the photographer, and I wanted to hear a couple of opinions that weren't influenced by this knowledge.

I should point out that the only post processing I have done was the black and white conversion, a smidgen of straightening, and a slight adjustment of contrast because the flyscreen tends to wash out anything behind it (and made the colour a bit yukky). The composition and crop are straight out of the camera.

Oh, and Schellamo, about the expression. Partly I think it is so good because Rowan wasn't really aware he was being photographed as he was effectively playing a game with Josh (Josh was staring at Rowan through the camera, and Rowan was staring back through the grille). But I have to say that Rowan is *very* photogenic. I've taken plenty of shots of his whole family over the years, and the rest of them all have their good shots and their bad shots like everyone else, but *every* shot of Rowan is a good shot. He just never seems to screw up his face or give a blank look or blink or do any of the things that make a bad photo.

Here's a shot I took of Rowan a couple of months ago:



And one of Josh, the now-famous photographer hamming it up for the camera.

[Schellamo]

haha they sure are cuties!

[shuttertalk]

Great story Kombi... I think there may be a pro photographer in the making...