A portrait of a professional

[Tyson L. Sparks]

I posted this on facebook and a friend of mine said it was an A+++ shot. Just that I would ask you all about it. Here is the question,,,, Composition, Quality, and subject... Ok go.

[Greg McCary]

Tyson we have been friends awhile so I am sure you won't mind the edit to go along with the critique. My biggest problem is the guy on the right heading out of the frame. You really need to avoid things pointing, or exiting the frame. Plus not only that he is to close to the edge of the frame. Try to keep a little room around your subjects and avoid getting things to close to the edge.
So I cropped the guy on the right out and centered the attention on the man and his emotions. The guy in the BG is a little distracting but this is a news shot I would think and you blurred him nicely. I try and keep the subjects eyes in the upper third of the shot. Never center. Also a little framing helps too.
Do some Google searching on composition and do your best to put it in practice. Even journalist benefit from good composition. Here in Rome we have a guy that works for the paper, Ryan Smith and he really does a bang up job with composition, tough to remember those things when emotions are riding high but once you get it down it will come second nature and you won't even think about it. I hope this helps. Oh I brought up the shadows, drops some highlights, a little clarity, contrast and saturation all in LR4.
I do wish his other hand was in the frame........

[Tyson L. Sparks]

Thank you Greg, I thought the same thing about the missing hand, this shot was kind of a shot from the hip. I crossed the police line and took some fast shots, lucky for me I had my FD T Shirt on as well so no one asked any questions. This picture was shot with that OLD Rebel also wit hthe Tokina 80-400 on it. I had my Sony on my shoulder with 50 mill on it.