Photography is, when all is said and done, an art in which light is a very important element. Where there is little light, we do what we can to compensate. We use strobes, we use fill lights, we use reflectors — sometimes with good results, but often not.
There are times to just say “the heck with it” and work with what little light exists. My older son played in a benefit concert this weekend, and I have several photos for which I used flash. I’m not as happy with any of them, though, as I am with this shot (for which the strobe did not fire).
Technically, it’s not a good photo – it’s “noisy,” details are lost in the shadows, and I had to push the exposure and contrast way to far. But in the end, this image best captured his smile and the enjoyment he was having on stage. For me, this is the best picture from the day.
Photographic Art of a person should, first and formost, capture the spirit of the individual. Some of the most impressive portraits ignore the technicaly exact exposure and leave you in love with the individual. You have done well in this photo.
The lack of detail in the wall just behind him focuses attention to the subject’s face, where the emotion explodes.