Which picture of boy?

[Jane Bradley]

I took pictures today for a commission - I haven't gone through all of them, but one really struck me. What do you think of the first one rather than the second two. I have many I haven't really looked through, but I am sure that most of the rest of the pics will look much like the second two. The little boy didn't really have a smile - it was either all out teeth or sad looking. This is the second shoot. (By the way, I realize this first one is kind of dark, but I think I can play enough with photoshop to get decent information). (I will also have to fix the problem with forshortening on the third if I use it - I couldn't get back quite far enough to not have a little distortion)

[Marcus Lim]

I agree that the third pic seems alot more appropriate for your work. It's a lot more balanced.

[Carolyn Bannister]

I'd go for the first one without a doubt, it's more moody, has more feeling to it, but the last one is very traditional and symmetric.

All depends on personal preference I suppose

[Mike McCarty]

What do you think of the first one rather than the second two.

I think you have the boy in a good position as far as lighting. However, I'm not a big fan of the pose. The boy seems a little old to be clutching a stuffed animal, but that's just me.

I fooled around with the background some, trying to square things up. And, I eliminated the light colored vertical supports on the chair back and I think I would eliminate the horizontal support as well.

Hope this helps.

[Sharon Knettell]

I think what Mike has suggested works.

I had this dilemma with a shoot once. The best pose I had of a little girl was of her clutching her favorite doll, the doll was an old, ugly, pink plastic doll with a one remnant of ratty hair clinging to it's head. It was more in the horror movie genre, think "Chuckie"rather than quaint. She would not let go of it and had a fit every time it was removed.

I later photographed a teddy bear in front of the dress she was wearing and substituted it.

Unless the parents are hung up on this amorphous stuffed animal, does the boy have a dog or cat that could be substituted and photographed in the same light, level and angle?

[Sharon Knettell]

Also you could make the boy a tad bigger so his head does not 'kiss' the lower part of the curve of the back of the chair. In other words his head could come a little higher.

[Judson Eneas]

How old is this boy?