School Picture Redux :)

[RyleaPhotography]

Quick backstory...my son's school pictures didn't really turn out so rather than pay for the same old standard pictures, I thought I'd take a shot at taking some on my own. These were taken in October of last year. These were the three we narrowed down as our favorites. Any feedback/critiques?
Thanks

 

[Amocholes]

1st looks pretty good to me.
I like the pose with the hands on hips but the top of the head is clipped. A step back would have brought it in.
Focus seems a little soft on the 3rd one.

That could almost be me 40 years ago. Skinny, glasses, the hair.

 

[Granddad]

1 & 2. He looks confident. 3 he doesn't.
Good choice of background (well, I like it).
I suspect that your place may be easy to identify because of all the twitterpated young girls hanging around.

 

[Derrel]

I would eliminate the third one from consideration. Background seems pretty busy: a little less DOF might have helped separate him from all the colorful leaves. I like the confidence of the second pose. but think a tall orientation might have helped, with him dominating the frame, from a bit farther back with the camera.

 

[RyleaPhotography]

Thanks gentlemen. I appreciate the feedback and have been jotting down notes on these shots.

 

[KmH]

He is not well separated from the background and there are some reflections in his glasses.
Good separation from the background gives a photo 'pop', or the subjects 'pops' out of the frame at you.
Put another way, the light quality and direction are well less than ideal.

A basic tenet of the visual arts that has been around for a couple thousand years is - Light advances, dark recedes.
In other words if your subject is brighter than the background the subject 'pops'.

That's why accomplished portrait photographers use some kind of supplemental lighting be it reflected or from an on or off camera flash unit, or 2 or 3 flash units.
Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better Portrait Photography Anywhere
On-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
Off-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Photographers
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1...Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography[/url
Photo Lighting
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
Making the Most of Natural Light in Photography (NEW)
Portrait Lighting with One Light: Introduction
Portrait Lighting with Two Lights: Fill Light