Hanna (New York City, 2010)

Her expression drew me in . I like the very real feeling of the clutter of glasses, ketchup, and her fries. The man in the background reading. For me this is a very natural, appealing photograph with natural colors and good exposure.

Frank,

I love the expression on Hanna, but I am not too fond of the busy background and especially the foreground. The foreground is just too busy. It draws my attention away from Hanna.

Nice shot,

Mark

I think I'm more inclined to see this from Mark H's point of view.  I like the clutter and while I'm not oblivious to the man in the background, I really think he adds to the composition and I think his potential distraction is minimized by the lighting.  The counter weighting of the ages is interesting as well.  I like Hanna's stare and the slight grain, it lends authenticity to the scene.

My only concern is the over-filled glass of water that could easily be spilled!

thanks for your words. To me the "clutter" adds to the authenticity of the portrait. I am quite fond of this picture myself. (BTW the old man in the back was reading "Everyman" by Philip Roth, a beautiful novel about a.o. ageing.)

In my opinion, the foreground clutter is very much a part of the story this image tells.  Hanna is finished - her drink is gone and she shies away from all the french fries (probably to keep her waist size where it is)  

Her expression is equivocal; she seems rather neutral in reaction to the photographer.  It is impossible to know what she is thinking at the moment. It sets the mind to predicting.  Anytime you get the observor to be mentally involved is good.

It is the clutter in the background that is distracting.  Background detail does nothing to tell us more of the picture.  Unless the man in the background is among her friends he should be blurred.  To do this use a wide open f/stop - your depth of filed will diminish.  Unfortunately there are some very bright objects in that background - making them blury will not make them less obtrusive.  One could imagine taking the picture from a slightly different angle to correct that or in spending some time in retouchng.

Regards,

Jerry Matchett