Happy locals

I was on a train bound to Colombo, Sri Lanka, when a boy and his mother boarded the seat in front of me. Despite the language barrier, he seemed quite excited to be on the train, leaning out of the window every now and then. He noticed me while peering through his seat and smiled; the light was perfect and I had my camera in my lap - snap!

What do you think about the pic? What works and what doesn’t? Fire away!

Technical information:

Leica M10-P + Summilux 35mm @f1.4. Auto shutter and ISO

I like it.

The only critique I’m sufficiently qualified to make.

Giving a critique and articulating distinct thoughts about a photo is not a matter of being qualified. It's a matter of being willing.

I think it's a sweet, poignant photo. The mother looking on adds a lot of dimension and storytelling. I see enough of her expression to connect me to her and the lack of focus on her is soft, which goes along with how she seems to be relating to the child. There's a nice play from mom to kid to you and that adds connectedness as well. You did a good job with severe window light right up against his face and shadows on the other side that don't get too dark or feel ominous, which the shot is not. I wouldn't have minded a little wider view which would add the sense of the compartment of the train, but you may well have been restricted.

Interestingly, standing on its own, there's a sense of its being a very good snapshot, and I say that not as a criticism because good snapshots have an important place in photography. I think if you take more vacation photos like this and put the good ones together it will take this and the others to a different place.

Giving a critique and articulating distinct thoughts about a photo is not a matter of being qualified. It's a matter of being willing.

Must you always......

I reckon so.

Giving a critique and articulating distinct thoughts about a photo is not a matter of being qualified. It's a matter of being willing.

 

I think it's a sweet, poignant photo. The mother looking on adds a lot of dimension and storytelling. I see enough of her expression to connect me to her and the lack of focus on her is soft, which goes along with how she seems to be relating to the child. There's a nice play from mom to kid to you and that adds connectedness as well. You did a good job with severe window light right up against his face and shadows on the other side that don't get too dark or feel ominous, which the shot is not. I wouldn't have minded a little wider view which would add the sense of the compartment of the train, but you may well have been restricted.

 

Interestingly, standing on its own, there's a sense of its being a very good snapshot, and I say that not as a criticism because good snapshots have an important place in photography. I think if you take more vacation photos like this and put the good ones together it will take this and the others to a different place.

Wow thanks for such a detailed feedback. You helped me break down why I liked this shot in a very detailed way. I believe it takes much knowledge and experience to be able to break it down in such a systematic way like you did. I learnt something new today!

The image was indeed cropped, because much of the surrounding frame is black due to the contrast of light from the window and dark train compartment.

Sri Lanka is a great country to travel with rich culture and friendly people. I posted some if my photos for critique and there will be more to come when I manage to finish post production.

Cheers!

I like it very much andrew. was it cropped?

Thanks! Good catch on the cropping! This is cropped close to the field of view from a 50mm lens because of the dark train compartment.

This is a great shot. The light is perfect here, really gives a solid sense of "being there". The interplay between light & shadow really adds dimension & depth- congrats on getting this without the highlights being blown out. The kid of course is cute, and his mom in the background adds further depth and nicely completes the scenario. The colors are perfectly suited to the light and feeling of everything- this is the perfect blend of elements here and you did well to capture this little moment.

Honestly, to my eye, the crop is a little severe in its tall and narrow form, but in the end doesn't kill the shot or the mood.

Nice shooting!