Does this work?

[Bambi]

does this work?
hmm for me it depends on what you want it to work for?

When I look at it, I find it a powerful image and one that evokes sadness.

if that is what you are going for, then it works.

[Marko]

I like the interesting treatment and strong mood.
But to my eye and taste there's a whole lotta clippin' (too much) going on.
Hope that helps - Marko

[Mad Aussie]

That's certainly unique.
The treatment and border certainly suggest it was taken way back in a time long before ours. Although the haircut doesn't.
The blown out highlights do seem a bit much but again it depends what you are going for exactly as TI said.
I like it.

[Chantelle]

I like this image how it is. It is unique, but I like the feeling it gives. To me it shows sadness as Bambi said. And as the others said, it depends what you are looking for, what you want this image to portray.

[tirediron]

That's certainly unique.
The treatment and border certainly suggest it was taken way back in a time long before ours. Although the haircut doesn't.
The blown out highlights do seem a bit much but again it depends what you are going for exactly as TI said.I like it.

I agree. The image isn't really my taste, but in certain circumstances it could work well.

[Mad Aussie]

Good of me to quote you before you even got here huh TI? My mistake ... it was Bambi I was referring to.

[JAS_Photo]

It's a bit David Lynch-ish to my mind. It's both compelling and disturbing it draws one in but once there it is an uneasy feeling.

[jabber]

I like the unusual treatment, personally, and don't mind an occasional breaking of rules (blown highlights, e.g.). The picture is a bit disturbing, true, but then life is sometimes.

[Bambi]

Good of me to quote you before you even got here huh TI? My mistake ... it was Bambi I was referring to.

that's okay. being mistaken for TI is a compliment.

[nomad358]

Thanks everyone for the comments! :-) I'll tone down the blown highlights. I also got more than one emotion from this boy at the time I shot it. I liked the shot in colour and liked it even more in B&W. Then I layered a texture in Photoshop. I used 1 Canon speedlite strobe and a reflective umbrella for lighting.