Hello Pentax Photographers, (newbie here)

I would like your opinion to learn how this picture in terms composition, colors, ISO, etc.

Context:

The picture was taken and no edit job (lightstudio, photoshop, no image editor, crop) anything after. From the SD to the website.

It was about 6 PM, very close to get dark.

My son 5yrs old is the boy in the picture.

No flash, because my battery was almost die, no flash available. One of the last shots of the evening.

What can I do to improve this picture digitally?

What can I do for improve my technique/skills on this picture?

What are the errors on this picture?

Thanks in advance

[SpecialK]

You would likely get more feedback if you post this in the "Photo Critique" section.

The second has the better framing. I would lighten it, and level the horizon at least.

[dms]

I also think the 2nd one has the better composition; however, straightening the far shoreline is a problem, as the picnic table will not be level, and that I think it is more important that the foreground table be level--as your son cannot seem to be sliding off it.

[SpecialK]

I also think the 2nd one has the better composition; however, straightening the far shoreline is a problem, as the picnic table will not be level, and that I think it is more important that the foreground table be level--as your son cannot seem to be sliding off it.

The table is not level - that is why the boy is leaning :-) The table in the background is not at the same angle.

[nomadkng]

it's very difficult to critique/offer suggestions for improvement when presented photograph(s) that do not have the basic technical qualities addressed. And In this case, a flash would not have helped you, in fact it probably would have made things worse by making the foreground too bright and the background too dark.

A kit lens, handheld at f4 in near darkness (high iso) is probably not going to produce any useable results, so my first suggestion regarding these photos would be to have a tripod the next time. Second, make sure your horizons are level, the second image is really disconcerting.

Analyzing the photos beyond that, I also don't like the harsh symmetry of the trees in the second photo, they are in nearly the exact same spot left and right with the benches centered between. The many leafless branches and a very empty sky are distracting, pulling your eye away from more important elements. It looks like a quick snapshot with no flow or continuity. I also don't like the human element having his back to me. That body language subconsciously makes me feel ignored or conveys other negative emotions. Nobody likes having anybody turn their back on them in "real life", and the same body language responses are felt by viewers even from looking at pictures. It can work at times, when it it's used to intentionally minimize the person in the image (often to convey scale), but that requires a much more interesting background. The person in this image is too prominent to be ignored and the background is not sufficient to draw interest away from him, especially given the brightly colored jacket.

Compositionally, the first photo is interesting to me, it follows a traditional approach to displaying a "contemplative" mood, or "dreaming". The image puts much more emphasis on the child and what is "beyond". It gives the appearance of telling a story, allowing the viewing to become engaged. The tighter framing also reduces a lot of the distracting branches and empty sky, plus the longer focal length has removed the very apparent (in second photo) lens distortion. The brightly colored jacket works in the photo because it adds definition to a more silhouetted form. I could even see a case, if you could get the child to sit still for an extended period of time (3-5 minutes?), where you reshoot this with a tripod, after twilight, which would capture the city lights and hopefully even some stars in the sky.