single photos Portrait of a friend in thought

Taken in early evening in Monterey, CA. How do you feel the people in

the background influence the composition?

seem to be the hallmark of the picture- and yes, i think the folks in the background are well-placed- distant and to the unseen side of her consideration. i like this photo a lot- but i must admit being influenced by such a pretty girl.

Using this photo to convince your viewer that she's "lost in thought..." will be a tough sell. Here you have two basic senarios: to introduce more ocean backdrop or to include more (or clearer) people in the background so she became relatively "lost." The expression of "lost" is a very challenging one for photographers. Good luck.

I like the feeling I get that she is inside her own head within the context of a social setting. It is good that the crowd in the background is distant and out of focus. They would probably appear that way to her too.

I think the picture could benefit from a lot more space in front of her face. She seems boxes in by the edge of the picture. She's also so very close to the camera that she can't be lost in thought; she's engaged with the viewer. A lot more distance would help, and space for her to 'move' in.