2nd attempt at portraits. C&C, Please!

[tinafaecarroll]

My boyfriend came to visit me, and I was itching to go to Horticulture Park with him to take some pictures. I tried a few portraits while we were there.
These are the best of the ones I took. C&C is appreciated, as I'm trying to do better. Thanks!
1.

2.

3.

4. That's me in there, too!

Thanks a lot!

 

[GeneralBenson]

He looks really stiff in all of them, and he's not really smiling either. Timing is everything. Wait for the smile, create the smile. When you press the shutter, there should be a reason for why you did it that exact moment, and not a different one. That's hard to get used to. It's really easy to just point the camera at someone and just click pictures away.

In the first one, he is totally centered and is head is perfectly level; both of those are generally to be avoided. In the second one, he looks taken by surprise. In the third he looks kind of like, 'is this where you want me to stand?'. Posing is so big, most people know how to look natural until you ask them to. Then they stand there like you asked them to perform ballet. That last one is probably the best, it looks more natural.

 

[LaFoto]

I'd agreen with the General in so far as the last is probably the best. You look the most relaxed, probably it was fun setting the camera up on timer and rushing back within the 10 seconds to sit down and laugh. You are not all centrally placed and you yourself have a lovely smile! I must say that.

Of the three of your boy-friend alone, I think I like the full body shot best, though his fists do give away how very tense he was during the photo session.

 

[tinafaecarroll]

Thanks a lot, for the comments. They all made sense, and I will have to work on it more.
Yes, I think he was probably a little uncomfortable, as he doesn't really like to have his picture taken.

LaFoto, Thanks for the compliment, though I (like most people, probably) am not a fan of my own smile.