Building a more narrative portrait

OK. More portrait stuff. Track athlete of the year.

And I was trying to do something a little more narrative with this portrait. Get some information in this photograph.

But I always struggle with finding that balance. Between narrative and just complicated. It's like photographing a baseball pitcher. Sometimes you can get a cool shot shooting through the batter and umpire. And sometimes its just distracting, and you're better off getting a clean, tight frame without any obstruction.

So I took a 70-200, hiked up into the bleachers, and shot down onto the "Ashland" letters on the track, moving my subject here, there. Trying to fit it all in comfortably.

I didn't really like any in-camera. It felt complicated.

But I got back to my computer, and realized I could build a pretty cool frame using the near bleacher and the far grass. They complemented each other. Pretty cool color with the track. And the subject had a great natural expression.

So it's different. And it's by no means a scientific composition -- the subject is left of center, near border. But I like it more and more every time I look at it. Cool framing. Great subject. Good setting for a track athlete of year portrait (both a track, and the high school name).

I like it.