New Joiners - People #518

Lovely. Intimate, gentle and well composed. I like the low-key exposure and I like the decisive moment of the kiss. It feels like we're not intruding on both a rather erotic, but also playful moment. I wonder if there's a bit more detail in the shadows - but I'm being picky - this is a charming, sensitive image. Well done.

A piercing and hypnotic portrait that is simple and direct. The look is almost a glare - a challenge - which at first hides the obvious symmetry of the composition. I'm glad that this is shot on a 50mm lens - in my opinion a very underrated focal length which means the field of view looks 'natural'. The lights on the wall so close to the model's head is a bit distracting but overall this is a cracking portrait.

This is a really strong, graphic yet simple composition, well exposed and well executed. I really like the contrast between colour and texture of the two faces and the emotional impact that the frame has with the bridle acting as a dividing line between them. Rather hypnotic. Nicely done.

There's something here that is both contemporary and timeless. I like the softness of the image and it reminds me of medium format film and the work of for example, Rineke Dijkstra. However that is all in the texture; the image composition itself is weakened by the fact that the figure is compromised by the busyness of the background. Just moving a little - or changing the position of the portrait would have helped immeasurably. Still, an interesting effort.

The light, the light... sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not... and sometimes it just isn't quite where you want it to be. That's the case here I'm afraid. An inch or so more and we'd have had the face illuminated which would have made more sense. Sometimes patience is the best bet - but if we do wait, we have to make sure the exposure's better. I can see here that the highlights are blowing already. Well done for seeing but making more accurate exposure's the way to go here.

This reminds me strongly of Paul Reas' 'The Dancing Class' (see - https://www.1854.photography/2018/11/reas-faubus/) where a man in a white suit is bleached by the sunlight. If you meant to do that, great - because it worked an has created a really intriguing frame. If you didn't then a more accurate metering on the face would have produced an equally strong frame that is nicely composed and balanced. Either way, it's interesting.

Sometimes what separates a good image from a great image is a fraction of a second and this is a case in point. I like how the photographer has frozen the moment and I like the (albeit cropped) shape of the frame - but with the eyes shut and the face partially obscured, the image isn't quite as strong as it might be. That said, there is a nice shape to the curve of the body and the arc of the water. It feels 'very nearly'. Well done.

I'm sure that this is a photograph of what the caption tells me, but the issue is that I can't see what the image is trying to prove. Because this is shot from behind and with a very shallow depth of field I can only really concentrate on the man and the child. When we use a camera, it's always good to work out what we are trying to say and how we might best do that so the viewer understands the frame. Keep pushing and keep this in mind when you next try and compose.

As much as this is about people, it's confusing because I can't tell exactly what's going on nor is there any emotional connection with the figures. I'm sure that this was a tricky situation but the first rule of composition is to focus (!) on something that is relatable to the viewer and in this case it would have meant moving or to focus on a narrower field of view - perhaps on one person concentrating on not falling in... Anyway, a bright, colourful effort but one that requires a bit more thought about what you're trying to say and how to say it.

This is really nice. I like that the moment is natural and almost off-guard - the chid's hand crossing the dividing line of the frame that is the tree trunk. In terms of textures, the dress and the bark are a nice contrast too. All that said, the image is very 'flat'. It looks like a photograph of a print - and fair enough if that's true - but as an image I'd like to see a bit more contrast and exposure control with some shadows - everything is rather murky - but that is to take nothing away from the composition which is charming.

A nice frame - but what's important in this picture? Is it the action between the two and their camera phone or is it the people behind them and does the shop lettering add anything? As nice as this is, what I see is a bit of a snatch - a frame composed loosely that makes the viewer do a good deal of superfluous visual work. If backgrounds add something the image, I'm all for them - but this could have been a stronger frame by turning the camera to a portrait shape (and making sure the shutter speed is higher so as to freeze the action more effectively). Still well seen and keep pushing.

This is very close to being excellent - and sometimes it's just luck that some images come together in a crowd and sometimes they simply don't. For me, the top of the head and the ear bottom at right simply break what would otherwise be a great and 'heroic' image. It happens - especially in crowds - but this is just life and we have to keep going. Well done in any case.

I like this: I like the shape of the image and I like the angle that gives the building and the poses dynamism. That said, you're right - the lighting is a little harsh. How to solve? Well, a more accurate exposure overall would help so that the highlights aren't clipped - but looking at the sky, the time of day might have been earlier or later. The most obvious way to control these elements however is to introduce your own lighting either to fill available light or to overwhelm the main (sun) light itself. Sometimes we have to get technical to solve problems that available list presents to us.

This is a lovely and natural frame that captures a delightful moment. As a personal picture - an aide memoire - it's perfect but as a photograph I so wish that the background didn't distract so much. The eye goes first to the brightest part of the frame - the sunlight behind the chairs. A quick change of format to portrait might have solved this - excluding much of the extraneous detail. That said, you've captured a lovely moment.

This is actually a very nice idea - using the two mirrors of a car to make a portrait. I'm reminded here of the work of Lee Friedlander and his numerous self-portraits (especially 'Route 9W, New York, 1969'). However, as strong as this is, exposure-wise it's a little confusing as it's shot on a phone. Nothing wrong with that but in terms of technical control it's lacking: such a good idea might be better explored with a device over which you have full control. Still, a really engaging effort.

A lovely image that captures real emotion and spontaneity. How to improve? Sometimes it's really tricky in these situations to move but a shift of an inch to the left would have more clearly delineated the main subject from the other children and a more accurate exposure would have rendered the frame's highlights better. That said, a very nice moment seen well.