This is a photo of Isaac… The General’s son. This photo is a good non-literal view that could have more than an average appeal to the general public because it’s not too ‘personal’ in interpretation. This photo could be any child… any place… any time…
Scored: 5.6 – not a bad score – I gave it a 7 when I voted.
This is an excellent photo in my opinion. It’s also a non-literal approach that has some storytelling qualities also. It doesn’t look like a circumstantial snapshot, even though it could be. It looks like the photographer may have put some thought into this shot… found an interesting lighting situation… capitalized on it very nicely…
Scored: 5.8 – pretty good score – I gave it an 8 when I voted.
I really liked this shot. It’s not a shot that is trying to use humor with a child to create a positive response. This is likely a posed photo, which is perfectly ok too. If you have a ‘vision’, go try to make it happen. Don’t wait for chance.
Scored: 6.5 – an excellent score – I gave it a 9 when I voted.
This photo looks like a pure and simple snapshot to me. Jon was probably following this toddler around with a camera trying to capture something particularly special rather than just shooting aimlessly. He had a plan… He wanted to have some great photos. This particular shot seems to capture the essence of what it’s like to be a small person…
Scored: not a challenge photo – I would scored this a 10 in about any challenge it appeared in.
Sonifo is very creative with her kids. She does a lot of really great photos with them.. You should check out her portfolio. She shoots with intent. She knows how to create something out of the ordinary. This photo is also one that seems to capture ‘childhood’ very nicely. The little girl on the far end… what a shot! It made me smile for a long time.
Scored: not a challenge photo – There was a similar shot in a challenge but I don’t remember which challenge or what it scored. I scored it highly though…
This certainly has some thought in it. This is an executed idea… doesn’t strike me as a per-chance snapshot… great lighting… nice ‘universal’ appeal… beautiful shot…
Scored: not a challenge photo – been added to ‘favorites’ lists 10 times… beautiful shot…
Beautiful pet portrait… non-literal view… phenomenal lighting… ribbon winner in a ‘portrait’ challenge…
Scored: 7.0 – I gave it a 10
These are just some photos that I think are excellent. These types of pet/kid photos may provide some examples of things you can strive for when you do your own. These all seem to have ‘competition worthy’ characteristics… better appeal than just to friends and family…
Great examples of photos on subjects that could be done poorly if there is lack of thought and setup! You make a great point with these examples for those of us who need to look beyond the obvious and reach for something more artistic in our work! While I don't have kids or a cat, the same applies to flowers and other objects of everyday life! You can make a strong photo out of something ordinary! Great post!
Thanks John for your insight. This has been helpful to me. I am just beginning this great adventure into photography and loving it. The photo I took for At Rest did have thought put into it as far as angle and elevation of the shot as well as color, but could have been better. It is scoring rather low. This is the kind of help that I appreciate from people who have much more experience and a good eye.
Edit: I would also like to thank you for taking the time to research and display those great examples. Where were my manners.
Thanks for taking the time to put together such an excellent post John. I totally agree with your choices and your evaluations. It makes me realize that are awesome shots just waiting to be taken all around. Keep up the excellent commentary and the beautiful photos.
Beautiful examples. I learned a lot by reading this post. There should be a great BIG sign on the front page "READ THIS before posting pet and kid pics". And it should be there forever. Not that I don't like pets and kids, have 3 cats.
Can you do bugs, spiders and flowers next?
Edit: Forgot to thank you for the time and effort put into reseaching and writing the post. Thanks much.
Spot on selection John - I rated all your choices very highly too (in fact, almost the same scores as yours). Thanks muchly for the mention - and you were spot-on with your assumption.
Below was my kiddie pic (and I have to say that I normally steer clear of them for the personal-orientated reasons) for the Life challenge.
However, I felt that this seemed detached enough from my personal viewpoint to be paletable for most people, and focused more on the spirit of youth than my own relationship.
I took this a few weeks ago, of my buddy and his kid, who's just learning to walk. It was pretty much a snapshot...unposed, etc. Is it a snapshot, though? It has clear and deep meaning for me, as I'm very close with the people involved. Does it mean something to someone else? I find it hard to make the distinction due to my involvement, despite the anonymous nature of the shot. I think, in this way, I can relate to the snapshooters on this site. It's not easy to see an image objectively (nor should we, really).
