Wonder

[minicoop1985]

This shot just kinda happened-not planned or anything, but I thought I liked it enough to post here.

Wonder by longm1985, on Flickr

Comments welcome and appreciated.

 

[bribrius]

my kind of portrait. Your subject is lighting themself.

 

[The_Traveler]

His face is great but I am distracted by the unknown light - is it an open flame or an acetylene torch.
It seems 'dangerous' to be near a child.

I don't mean to imply that I am concerned that it is actually dangerous but that my attention goes to that issue.

 

[Designer]

I think what my version is attempting is to de-emphasize the speedlight while emphasizing the light from it. I like the boy's hand in the frame, but I just wanted to see it like this.

 

[minicoop1985]

Lew, the light's just a speedlite. Nothing dangerous. designer, that's a neat crop. Focuses more on the facial expression.

 

[The_Traveler]

I wasn't saying that I thought it was dangerous, only that because it wasn't obvious to-non-photographers what it was, that it was distracting.

I like Designer's crop because it minimizes the impact of the speedlight.

 

[minicoop1985]

That makes sense. I see your point.

 

[The_Traveler]

Looking at the full res original (with Designer's crop) I think this is a picture for the portfolio.
A little bit of editing to lower the bright spot somewhat really gives this impact for me.
Printed on watercolor paper or canvas, this would be a treasure.
If it is your child, you are very lucky to have such a beautiful boy.

(note how clipping the light source with the margin doesn't make it less bright but subliminally reduces its importance - at least to me.)

 

[Gary A.]

I like the hand. The hand fits the title which fits the image. The fact that he is holding the light adds so much to the image because the average person doesn't think about holding light ... holding light is beyond what a human can d0 type of thing. If anything, I'd distort the straight, (obviously man made), edges and have him appear to hold an orb of light ... a spherical fistful of light.

 

[minicoop1985]

Thanks, guys. I've got a plan to make an orb of light with one of my Yongnuos I'm getting tomorrow. A trip to the hardware store and I'll have the light orb. And yes, that's my son Cooper.

 

[Gary A.]

Thanks, guys. I've got a plan to make an orb of light with one of my Yongnuos I'm getting tomorrow. A trip to the hardware store and I'll have the light orb. And yes, that's my son Cooper.

I was thinking more of PhotoShop.

 

[minicoop1985]

I know, but I've got some ideas with the orb that I wanna try.

 

[kdthomas]

Lew, the light's just a speedlite. Nothing dangerous. designer, that's a neat crop. Focuses more on the facial expression.

Do you think you could do one where he actually is holding a lit oxy-acetylene torch? That actually would be kind of cool

Seriously though, I like the image. If you could lose the blue flare next to his face, that might help it a bit.