Just for fun - the photo has not particular merit - but since I sent my son's photo, and mentioned my daughter, who also did a tour in Afghanistan (Cmdr. USN).

Walking into the past is exactly what my son described it as. Except for the IED's. My daughter also served in Afghanistan as a nurse in Kandahar AFB hospital. The photos she brought back can't be shown: - the grisly results of IEDs. She saw a much worse part of the war than my John did. Because it still is the past (but with modern weapons) John thinks , as soon as we leave, it will instantly revert to what it was before we ever went there.

I think sheep and cattle were the biblical animals of the stone age to bronze age Bible. We read in Genesis that Laban made a deal with his son-in-law, Jacob, that if Jacob would tend his flocks, Jacob could keep all the spotted cattle for himself. The fellow in the photo could be Jacob himself, walking right out of a page of Genesis.

It is too bad he did not get the full length of the soldier including the boots - it would have made a better composition, but this was a grab shot on patrol. Technically, it is quite good exposure and sharpness, and the story telling is quite poignant.

Both young men are mirror images of each other, turban, staff, gear, looking at each other through the haze of 5000 years of history: one in the 21st century, the other could be Abraham, journeying out of the Land of Ur.

A photo my son sent me from Afghanistan. Taken with a little point and shoot camera I gave him. I thought it was a perfect metaphor for the conflict.

(Download)

The subject is super cute, but what about the quality of the photograph? Control of shadow and highlight detail and exposure? Any tricks to animal photography outside of a studio? This is about the best I know how to do in open shade outdoors. Any advice to improve? I use a Nikon d90 with a zoom lens, and an sb400 flash with a diffuser.

"You told me to use paper!"

I would use the trees too frame the deer and provide context - tells a better story, and edit out some of the horizontal twigs, - not all but some to take out some of the clutter. Also bump up the brightness and contrast.