My Over-Explained 1st Show Your Photo Post

[F8&Bthere]

You're about to see from the pile of disclaimers, pre-apologies, and explanations to follow why I will rarely, if ever, post a photo to the critique forum.

I always hope my photo "speaks" to the observer in some positive way, but I can't expect others to always see what I was going for and what might be behind the image. That, and I don't always take criticism very well.

So here comes the pile of 'splainin':

I know the grunge look is becoming kinda overdone, like HDR, but then what isn't these days? Everyone and their dog has a digital imaging device and at least a couple pieces of software to play with.

I shot this in landscape on a tripod, didn't worry about orientation because it was only one of a series of test shots, playing around with off camera flash and reflectors.

Once I grunged it up though, I liked the way my son's body language and facial expression played into the large dark empty space. Even the centered composition, although generally a photography no-no, seemed to work. To me, it was like he was on stage, the spotlight was turned on him, and all that was there was kind of the antithesis of showmanship. Kinda like the wrong act showed up... just sort of a disinterested and mopey subject.

I was also stuck between cloning out the toy lightsaber on his hip or leaving it and calling the photo Luke Shywalker, hahaha.

I couldn't bring myself to show it in landscape since it would be one too many by-the-book technical violations. yet when I cropped to portrait I didn't like the loss of the empty space around him that made him seem smaller. So I went 1x1.

So even though I'm a wuss, I would like to hear about the brightness of the image: if it's too dark.