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This will NOT be kept as the birthday portrait, but I like the way it speaks of impending doom.

Opinions?

its an interesting image, im not sure that it will ever become a family favourite but it is a very emotive image, the head turned away and fading into the darkness juxtaposed with the window.....makes you think that he knows he is losing the race towards the light

I love it.

It's a beautiful portrait, with great use of the light and just the right amount of shadow detail, while keeping the highlight areas well under control.

As above, it is a an interesting photograph but
it one of those that capture a moment and a mood
that we rather not have. Specially, if you are
emotionally attached to the subject.

I see a portrait showing strength and doggedness and a little mischief. Lovely tonality, Greg.

This is without doubt one the best pics I have seen in a long time - love it

Greg,

I'm presuming this was shot with the D800?

It really shows the scope of the dynamic range that today's sensors are able to bring to the image.

gstark wrote:I'm presuming this was shot with the D800?

Yes it was. With the 105VR Macro.

Here is a monochrome version of the photo. I am really not sure about this one, On first though B&W should suit the theme, but I really like the way there is green grass outside the window. In the light.

I agree that mono should suit the image, but,in this case, the colour works better.

One word "colour". It softens the image impact.

Greg,

For the mono treatment, I think a little more needs to be done.

First of all, crop it square. for the rh edge, try cropping out the cup on the lower rh side. Maybe midway through that gap between the knee and the cup should be the rh edge? Then crop square, chopping from the lh side whatever is necessary there.

Next, I think you need to bring out a little more shadow detail on the rh side of the face - the lh side of the image as we are looking at it. Perhaps wind the contrast back a notch or two might do that for you, but not too much: the contrast helps the curtains and the other elements that need that delineation that the higher contrast offers. We just need to wind back the darkness level very very slightly on the lh side of the image.

Definitely for the mono treatment to work it needs the contrast wound back... if not the across the whole image definitely on the left darker side.
I'm not convinced though that a mono conversion is the way to go for this image anyway... I'd be quite happy to stick with the colour version.
Never hurts to try a few variations... the only thing you lose is time !!!

Hey Greg, I am gonna buck the trend a bit here, this image does little for me and does not engage me with the subject even for the idea of impending doom. The reason for me is that the way he is looking appears to be simply looking to the floor for something he dropped rather than falling asleep or any other action, this coupled with the bright curtain which really draws the attention away (due to the brightness and the detail).

I think if he had been looking out the window at the bright light then this would have changed the whole dynamic and for me given nicer light on the face meaning it may be easier to engage the subject.

Everytime I look at the image i think, mmm nice curtains

I'm not really getting impending doom here.

I think there is enough detail on the man to bring me back to looking at him after flicking as Gerry says straight to the bright curtains. I am left wondering what he's looking at on the floor - something he's dropped or just something there.

I prefer the colour version rather than the mono