William

Along the lines of what Vic wrote, I prefer the trees, and the rest of the photo as you presented it here. Without the trees, you'd just have a portrait of someone with their eyes closed.

The trees help create a sense of a space, and having his eyes closed gives me the feeling that the subject is in that space and reacting to it...and to the light entering the space.

Something to consider -- a light sepia toning...keeping the print in the bleach bath (Part A) for only a short time. This would give a warmth to the highlights, including the skin tones -- almost a glow.

One other point would be the choice of clothing. Hawaiian print cargo pants, and the shorts in your other image, put a time-date on the photos. Not a bad thing, but something to consider in a portrait...and how one looks at it. Instead of being a portrait of William in the environment, the clothes become a distracting (or focusing) element of the image.

Since I do not know William, I find the clothes choice distracting -- but perhaps if I knew him, then the clothes would help to define who he is. Either way, sometime more information is not always good.

Vaughn

Vaughn. I appreciate your comments very much.
I agree that the choice of clothing may not be perfect. We just took this shot when leaving the beach.

About the toning I haven't toned my prints in years. Last time I did it my wife looked angry at me (she didn't liked that I used the kitchen to tone with sulfite).

/ Marcus

Marcus,

Sometimes you make photos when you can (and when your subjects are willing!) I have an on-going series with my three boys in the environment. Before we head out I try to check their clothing. I have had a boy or two where their shirts or sweat-shirts inside-out to get rid of the logos and other graphics.

Vaughn

PS...you may have to do the toning outside...weather and cold permitting!

Vaughn I understand you. Sometimes it is really bad that most shirt and jumpers has logos printed all over. Naturally one has to take photos of them too since it will be fun in 50 years or so. But at the same time it is more beautiful (to me) to take photos that could have been taken a hundred years ago.

/ Marcus

Yes, though I prefer to think of it as time-less rather than "a hundred years ago" -- a small subtle difference to be sure. The photo could have been taken in the future, also.

I have a photo in my gallery shots of my boys on a old steam locomotive

http://www.apug.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=17633

-- the nearest boy is holding his baseball cap in his hands...at least it becomes a little less noticable than if he was wearing it. I had not planned on taking a photo of them -- I was just going to try out some X-ray film and the boys like to play on the train.

Vaughn