need portrait comments please

[pamcakes]

just took this photo and would like suggestions/comments. the jockey said he couldn't smile 'cause he had too much mud on his face! i'm a newbie at the portrait thing

 

[2Stupid2Duck]

I like it, a lot. It's definately not a shot he should have smiled in... even is current look is maybe a smidge happy. Great work.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Im surprised that you haven't had more comments. I assume that since you were shooting at a horse show or race you had no control over the background. If we start from there and call that a given, then I would ask what camera you shot this with. If you had no control over the exposure and no way to shoot a fill flash then it is as good as you could have done.


Note the dark eye sockets. If you had a small amount of fill flash, they would be much better. If baring that you could have given it a little more exposure you could have achieved pretty much the same thing.

I personally like the second method better but fill flash seems to be the method of choice these days.