My Son

Below are some shots I took of my son. It is rare that he asks me to take his picture since he is at that point as a teenager where he knows all and my wife and I know nothing. I don't normally do portrait work, so I would appreciate some constructive feedback. I experimented with a fill-in flash on a few of them.

#1: Climbing on a boxcar

Those are great, he should be very happy with those. Not so sure about the first one. I love that you created a "frame" to shoot through, but I"m confused about what that frame is, and while I love the backlight on his hair, that angle makes him look down, creating bags under his eyes that normally wouldn't be there. Great work. Teenage boys are so hard to capture properly, so to speak, and he seems comfortable and natural. You didn't have him doing any cheesy poses, just very casual and cool, and they tell us something about him. really great work.

Sue - Thanks for your feedback. To answer your quesion about picture #1, my son was climbing on a railroad boxcar and I was framed through the latter that he was climbing.

Does anyone else have any construtive feedback?

I don't like the one with the puck. Other than that, I think you nailed the lighting in all of them!! What camera and lens?

He's cute and that makes me feel like a total cougar.....


I do really like the red door photo!

cfurlo wrote in post #9933196
I don't like the one with the puck. Other than that, I think you nailed the lighting in all of them!! What camera and lens?

Finally back in town. Thanks for the feedback. The idea for the idea for the puck was taken from a basketball spread that I saw. It is different and I was trying to see how it would work with a much smaller object like a puck.

I used a Canon Mark III and the lens is the 24-70mm or my nifty fifty.

Thanks again.

Milla wrote in post #9934303
He's cute and that makes me feel like a total cougar.....

I do really like the red door photo!

My son saw your post and noted that you're in Canada. So, he asked me that if he is 18 in the USA, is that like being 25 in Canada at the current exchange rates?

4 and 5 for me composition wise.

I agree lighting is great on all the others.

If he is really good at hockey You could have him stand under the "Humble" sign on the background. I'm assuming Humble City limits?

Honest critique?
Your son looks uncomfortable, as he probably was, with his parent photographing him. Teens are very hard to capture naturally, especially boys.

#1 - Points for trying the frame and getting the hair light, but I don't think it works. His expression is more 'surprised' than anything else.

#2 - Looks a bit dorky. I'm assuming he has the hockey stick because he plays? Then why at a rail track? Lots of confusing lines going on.

#3 - Sorry - doesn't work. Blurry face is just a distraction.

#4 - Could have been a nice shot. But that leg-spread - I dunno. Once again, looks uncomfortable and awkward.

#5 - Best of the lot, in my opinion. Even then, it is more a snapshot than anything else. However - his pose and posture looks comfortable.

#6 - Looks contrived, and colours do not work too well.


Unrequested advice:
If someone is feeling awkward about a shoot, it will show. There are ways around it. Taking a friend, perhaps, and playing them off against each other.
Look to your backgrounds vs foregrounds, in relation to lines, angles, colours and contrasts. look at #4 - he has a line going through his head.
If your aim is to show an 'environmental portrait - that is, the subject around his usual items (like the hockey stick), try and do it somewhere relative, or it will look out of place.

TxLerman wrote in post #9962654
My son saw your post and noted that you're in Canada. So, he asked me that if he is 18 in the USA, is that like being 25 in Canada at the current exchange rates?

Too bad for him that the exchange rate is practically par. If today was his 18th birthday in the US, he'd be 18.1 in Canada. Another year and he'd be old enough to drink in Ontario