[Hacker]

You may have seen this image on another thread but the more I look at it the more I like it, in fact I think it is one of my best yet and I may enter it some comps. This has been re-edited to get rid of an OOF hand in the top right corner plus a few other tweaks.

I would welcome all comments and views.

[nichpr]

Colin, I would agree - this is a special shot. Its candid, emotive and well executed. Would like to see a bit more detail in the boy's shirt, however. The one thing that would have put this over the top for me would be to have had the Mom's eyes more open. But that is just a matter of luck in the timing.
Love the shot - well done.
- Paul

[Markulous]

'Tis a great shot! Agree with Paul re. detail/darken shirt (not much needed). Maybe burn her forehead and his cheek a touch as they're both slightly detailess

[Dabhand16]

I saw this one on the other thread and thought it was a fantastic capture. Go for it

[chickadee]

from a viewers point , for me this shot spells a mums love , because of the natural smile and look of mum.Agree that the shoulder on boy needs tad darkening , plus it is a shame that mum hasnt got her eyes a little more open , but i still keep going back for a look , and to me the boy is the focal point followed by the mothers love and i do like the way the boy is looking ahead and that you have left roon for him to look in that direction .Really like the shot and good luck when you enter it.

[Charlotte]

Graham + I are on the same song sheet with this one ... Love it

My initial reaction to the boy's shirt was it was a bit bright but, as you say Hacker, first impressions are often wrong I do think it balances out the darkness of her hair, so I am fine with the white shirt being detail-less, + anything else having subtle detail as well, not needed here ... this is, as Paul identified, a shot all about emotion, + you have captured that brilliantly. Unlike Paul, I think her eyes being shut is not only fine, but essential to the message in this image, which is very obviously one of a mother's love for her son. His lovely shining eyes counter her closed ones. His white shirt (representing the purity of his youth) contrasting with her dark ("been here a while") hair. They are both showing one ear, his young unblemished ear contrasting with her pierced ear. It all adds up to a very special moment. This is a very touching image, accentuated by the close crop. Wouldn't change a thing

[Hacker]

Wow, Charlotte, that is a great critique, thank you very much! Now that I have re-visited the shot I tend to agree about the shirt and the forehead even though they are only minor changes. With regard to the eyes, I could see the shot unfolding as the Mum tried to cheer up her little boy, he was being unco-operative and grumpy and she was trying hard to cheer him up. I had the shot composed and fired off a couple of frames and then he smiled which is when I shot this, a split second later he was wriggling out of her grasp to run around again.

Here is version III:

[Charlotte]

LOL I know the kind of behaviour she had to contend with

Ok I concede about the shirt, looks good in this one. I do prefer her forehead per the original tho', i.e. untouched. This is because the alteration now places all the high-key effect onto the boy, which makes the toning unbalanced IMHO. I'd prefer her face to retain the original high-key toning, but if you're going to tone down her face, then you need to do his as well. However, I think the high-key toning of the original adds just the right effect.

[skipper954]

Hello Hack

From a technical standpoint, I like your second one. The detail in the shirt now doesn't detract from the overall image with its brightness in the original.

From an emotional point of view, this is a one way street. Mum obviously adores her son and is spending all of her energy and emotion upon him.

Kid doesn't give a s..t. He is looking for the next toy with which to play, as noted in your note, and it shows. There is no connection between him and mum.

In a way, that is ok, because that is the way life is but from a photographic viewpoint, it would have been nice to have eye contact or some response from the boy. This is not an image killer, because I still think it is wonderful, but I would have liked that.

Of course you cannot dial up what you want with kids, so you take what you can get, and you got good.

skip

[Rob Barron]

I don't think this needs a lot of changing, it works beautifully as is. I don't agree at all that there is no connection between him and mum, i think there is a lovely feeling of safety and warmth that the child is responding very naturally to. I think it is so obvious that we have a natural contact between mother and son that eye contact is unnecessary and even a bit cliched.

I think you should leave it alone, print it out, give it to mum in a frame and let her enjoy it for the lovely family picture it is.

Cheers,
Rob

[sawdust]

I agree with all they above {is that taking the easy way out !!!} but to me its a fantastic shot I bet you got that feeling inside when you first saw it and thought YES got it how it felt, just like an artist when he first stands back from his painting, well done