by Diane Arbus I like this photo because it’s not what you would expect to see in a portrait of a little boy. It’s a little jarring to see the toy hand grenade and his expression, but at the same time it’s endearing. He’s just a boy playing war without realizing the full meaning of his game. I like the way the angle and the cropping emphasize his stance, making him look a little distorted. It’s also humorous how one of his straps came off his shoulder. I like the selective focus to make the subject the most prominent part of the photo, which is often important for a portrait. At the same time, I like the patterns of the trees’ shadows behind him. Also, the tonal range is nice, with the darker tree and shadows and the light in the far background. The subject isn’t the brightest thing in the photo, and he’s not lit strongly from any side, but I like that soft-lit effect, because it looks more natural for this more informal type of portrait.

by Diane Arbus

I like this photo because it’s not what you would expect to see in a portrait of a little boy. It’s a little jarring to see the toy hand grenade and his expression, but at the same time it’s endearing. He’s just a boy playing war without realizing the full meaning of his game. I like the way the angle and the cropping emphasize his stance, making him look a little distorted. It’s also humorous how one of his straps came off his shoulder.

I like the selective focus to make the subject the most prominent part of the photo, which is often important for a portrait. At the same time, I like the patterns of the trees’ shadows behind him. Also, the tonal range is nice, with the darker tree and shadows and the light in the far background. The subject isn’t the brightest thing in the photo, and he’s not lit strongly from any side, but I like that soft-lit effect, because it looks more natural for this more informal type of portrait.