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Thank you all for taking the time to comment. I appreciate hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

Steve, I love your version. I wish I had thought to do that myself. This is why I love Photo.net. I get wonderful advice from people like you who are willing to share their expertise.

Best wishes,

Linda

It is a very nice fall composition I feel this sweet child motion ( his legs).I think that Steve was right in blurruing the BG, it is a better "stage"for the playing child. beautiful moment, details and color palette.

How cute is this, it just makes me smile! I like what you have created but do think Steve has taken it up a notch with his version  ;) I too like to play in a pile of fallen leaves and sorta wish I was there with this sweet child  ;) Thank you for sharing

Warm regards, Pamela

Linda,

  What a wonderful capture of this little one.  Love the beautiful fall colors.  Take care, Patsy

Excellent shot , fantastic light , amazing colors , good composition , great job .......7 !!.................. Best regards.

4 to 6 cents here!

Blurring the background makes this more simple, easier to digest, more pleasant to look at. Depends on the goal. I liked the idea of the inclusion of the background and the other people because it suggests a story and a possible dynamic. The dynamic is that there is a leading diagonal line from the child to the people in the corner, so my eye moves in the photo. Yes, it moves past the child, but the child's image is so strong that it's not a distracting move, more of a wandering move, just like a child's imagination (metaphorically speaking). Essentially getting rid of the background makes this a "better" but also more typical photo. Simple subject. Here he is. Cute kid. Done here. Clean and pleasant. I don't think this is a great background, honestly, but I think there's a lot more potential when one includes other players and subplots than when one keeps simplifying and avoiding so-called distractions. So, yes, the background could be blurred. And it can also suggest how important and vital and life-giving a background can be. It could be a challenge not to avoid, but rather to embrace backgrounds that will add a layer to the photo.

Take a look around PN. Notice how many photos blur out backgrounds, either in camera or in post processing. And you can tell the photographer considered the background distracting or inessential and so tried to blur it away. But, usually, it doesn't work. It's just a blurred-away background, which often appears as very self conscious in a photo. Every element in a photo has an important role. Blurring backgrounds, instead of attending more carefully to them in the first place, feels like the photographer trying to make up either for reality or for a mistake. In reality, children often play in locations, where stuff is going on. Pretty women with nice hats often stand near activity or buildings, clutter, etc. unless they're in a studio. Cleaning up the world, trying to get simplified geometries and scenes often comes across as neutered and overly-imposed order when something more vibrant was probably available. Getting more in the frame and having it be more vibrant is harder. But I would say it also comes with more rewards. (Of course this is not a universal rule, and I've seen many great photos with blurred background and luscious bokeh that I wouldn't change for the world.)

I like where your instinct took you here, to get down to the child's level which is respectful and draws us to the child much more than had you stayed at your adult standing level. But doing that usually ensures that you are going to include more background rather than just zero in on your subject and the floor. Maybe there was no great shot here given such a perspective. Maybe there was. Either way, what's most important is that such a perspective has the ability to get you both more in tune with your subject and at the same time beyond it . . . to the photograph.

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I don't mean this in any way to take away from Steve's good suggestion for this particular photo, because I do think it improves it. I just thought the whole subject of backgrounds might be worth a little more consideration. Hope that's OK.

I've only got 2 cents but here they are, Fred's words above describe my own sentiments regarding Steve's alteration succinctly, although I know that Fred was not directing his comment at Steve's alteration specifically.

I think Steve did hit on an important issue with your original photo, that being the distracting quality of those busy lines of the buildings and poles etc.

However in Steve's version the blur is so heavily applied it lacks any sincerity and turns an honest and heartwarming scene into an obvious bit of fakery.  In particular the blur tool  having been run down both vertical sides and the bottom of the frame takes much away from the original photo.  I would suggest gently softening the focus of the left side of the background enough that it looses its current tendency to make me squint and stare into the background trying to cipher detail.  In other words, if the image appeared as if it was shot with the lens open another stop it would be imo perfect.

Overall a really nice representation of a moment I can strongly relate to, having wiled away many an hour of my childhood doing precisely what you have so nicely portrayed here.

a delightful shot with its perfect pov and great light... i like what GB says

I think that Steve said it himself that it was more blurred  than needed, and I agree with you Gordon that a softer hand on the BG will enhance the photo imo too. But I thought that Steve was basically right, and still it is a very good photo of the fall season.I love the color palette and mood.

Fred, BG depends on the subject PN or other sites as well..;-)) Good issue to discuss.

Pnina, thank you for commenting. It’s good to hear from you.

Pamela, thanks. He really was adorable.

Patsy, I am glad to hear that you like it.

Falak, thanks so much.

Fred, you always give me something to think about. Thank you for that. I am grateful because you make me stretch my imagination and question my long held notions about aesthetics in art.

I don’t think that the people in the background of this shot had anything to do with this particular story. I have shots of the boy and his grandfather playing together, which did tell more of a story. I went with this one because it focused on the joy of discovering the wonders and beauty all around us with innocent eyes and an untainted heart. A theme I love. It would be another story of the grandfather re-discovering joy through playing with his grandson. I do know what you mean about “cleaning up the world”. In many photos the background really adds to image, or even makes the image. There are others where there is one point of interest that is more important than anything else in the image. It could be simply a sparkle in an eye, the details of a leaf, a rose bud; that image is enhanced by removing or blurring the distractions. It is up the photographer to decide the approach to best capture whatever it is that has caught his or her eye and imagination. I am always open to the different ways other photographers here see my images and how they would handle them. I am always interested in advice and tips on how to improve an image. It has helped me grow as a photographer. There have been so many times that I have had to say “I wish I had thought of that”. It reminds me of when I was in college and we had class critiques. I agree that we all should think about the whole image as we are shooting, including the background. What I am striving for today is the best possible image I can get in camera. You have a very studied and thoughtful style which I love. Your thoughtful approach is reflected in your excellent work. I am more spontaneous, I see something wonderful that I want to capture it immediately. I am often too eager. I am excited and hurried, I stress that it will disappear before I have a chance to get one good shot. Because of this I make a lot of mistakes. I do need to be more thoughtful, I know it would lead to better images.

Gordon, thanks for that. Steve did say that perhaps he overdid the blur, it was just a quick re-do. You have all convinced me to rework this image a bit. I think I will try giving it a slight blur. I am also going to have be more conscious of the essentials in getting a good and maybe someday a perfect exposure.

Rajat, thanks, I was sitting on the ground in my own little pile of leaves partially hidden behind a tree so I wouldn’t distract him.

Pnina, I agree absolutely this is a good issue to disuss. Thanks again.

Linda - love the subject -lighting on the leaves, composition, color and action of the child is wonderful. My first comment is that I would crop the left-most 20% off to get rid of the parking lot and housing development. I would have used a shallower dof to blur the background "clutter"  - as I was scrolling to find the end of the comments, I noticed a couple of entries that seemed to address this.... he sure is a cutie-pie, though!

Tender moment such as this excellently captured image of a playful child rarely come by and that makes this photo outstanding. Beautifully done and I am sure this photo will just be as memorable for the child as well as the photographer and that is you, Linda. Great photo indeed. Best regards!

Hi Linda, I just popped back to see what was going on...   This is AMAZING! 

People really talking and sharing ideas and expertise.  It would surely be nice if folks took the time to do this more often.  Anybody got ideas on how to make it happen?

It's not my page but please let me also thank everyone for sharing their thoughts on dof, blurring etc.

A beautiful shot that has so many thinking back on their own childhoods or those of their own children....and so on.  Such a beautiful sunny day to celebrate the joys of childhood innocence and discovery.  He seems so wrapped up in his own little world.  Although I expect Granpa made it much more enjoyable.

These are the days and moments that get us through winter and so many other times when we need our 'frowns to turn upside down'.  Good to hear you also got a chance to experiment with your camera Linda.  Our leaves are all gone now, but I'll come back and enjoy yours if you don't mind....tops for me...love it!

A slight blur definitely helps to make the subject stand out, which btw is quite cute.  Love the position of the hand.

Sandra, thank you. I haven’t heard from you in a long time. I think it is unanimous about the dof. Best wishes.

Lester, I am a little overwhelmed with all the comments on this. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Steve, I really enjoy hearing all the different thoughts and ideas. This is a great learning experience. I am thrilled that my little photo sparked all this exchange of ideas. You are right it would be nice if it happened more often. Fred is always great at getting these conversations going. There are the forums. Anytime I have had a problem or if I am confused about something I will start a thread and I always get excellent advice.

Gail, thank you. We still have colourful leaves but one good wind will take care of them for another year. I am still watering my geraniums. They were late bloomers, didn’t bloom until late in August. They are sure making up for their slow start now.

Monte, thank you, it’s nice to hear from you.

Best wishes,

Linda

Lot of opinions and comments here about bg and this is excellent because diversity makes us to go step by step further away.I like this composition ,is natural and with a positiv mood comes from it,compliments Linda.

A sweet presence in a very vivid pose in a marvelous golden ambiance.....

A beautiful child's image Linda and an excellent autumn scene....

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PS-1: I would agree with Steve Shinn that a blurred b/g enhances the main subject.

PS-2: Many thanks my friend for your generous comment under my last post.

A really beautiful shot with very nice lighting and colours, Linda!

Wonderful capture,Linda!

Nice colours,view and very unique documentary shot.

Best regards(Bobby).

It's a very nice autumn scene taken from a very effective angle. Colors, light, frozen movement ...all fits perfectly. Compliments Linda!

Thank you all for commenting. I appreciate it.

Best Regards,

Linda

Great capture, a child playing in the autumn leaves. It brings back fond memories of my children when they were young. lovely work Linda.  Regards....Bob

A wonderful discussion and a beautiful image with the blur - any other comment would be superfluous. best regards,

This is a glorious child in warm colors. The posture and expression - the way the child is holding the bunch of leaves and moving forward reveals his keen concentration.  The discussion on DoF is very helpful. Best regards.