I saw this kid — his character and behavior were interesting. I wanted to take a photo of him, and I realized he was thinking about the amusement park just behind him. In that moment, I decided to shift my focus to show what he was thinking about instead of capturing his face.
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So you MEANT to do that??
As I told someone else in the contest, you first have to learn the rules before you can break them. Even if your subject was in focus, which is the main point of a portrait, this would still look like a snapshot that millions of other people could also take.
The composition is boring and shows no creativity. As far as his expression goes (which we actually can't see because he's out of focus), there's no way that we can connect his thoughts to what's in the background. He actually looks both bored and annoyed because he's posing for a photo; not excited to ride a Ferris Wheel.
Lighting is bland and uninteresting as well. And, by focusing on the ride in the background, you make THAT the main subject of your photo instead of the boy.
There's far more to creativity in photography than just trying to be different. You still have to demonstrate things like composition, storytelling, good lighting, mood, expression, and color theory. Anything less is just a wasted frame and wasted moment.
(Edit)
I just looked at your portfolio. You have far better shots than this and have a good understanding of the "rules." Why would you lower your standard and present this as your best portrait? I was totally expecting an amateur portfolio. You're selling yourself short if no one bothers to look beyond this image.
Dear Ed Burns
First of all, thank you for your comment. I've recently started taking portraits in a different way than before and I’m looking for feedback like yours to understand how people respond to the change. As you can see from my portfolio, I know the rules and lighting techniques, and I shared this photo just to see how others would react to it.
Strange but very good! The level of your creativity is outstanding.
I'm really glad to hear that, it means a lot.