Yes, this captures the essence of springtime beautifully. I’m viewing this on a mobile phone, so cannot really appreciate the fine detail mentioned by Minnie. I can zoom in and see bits of detail in isolation, but that is not the same as enjoying detail in the whole scene. But I can see enough to see that it would be good.
Having the bee lifts the picture to a much higher level than just having the flowers, even though they are lovely.
Pete
I like this photo, or these photos, according to your explanation above. The two fit perfectly, resulting in a delightful study of the old lady, her environment and her keen observation of her surroundings.
The black frame around the woman is a bit too sharp and regular to pass as part of the door frame. I would be tempted to do a bit of careful cloning to remove it, because once seen it is hard to overlook.
Initially, the cable running across the top of the frame seems like a candidate for cloning or cropping, but on further thought it adds character and helps paint a better picture of the neighbourhood, where the photo was taken.
Pete
I agree, train stations and the people and machines in them make fascinating subjects, and the leading lines mentioned by Minnie are just waiting to be used.
In your set, those lines are provided by the cables and ducts on the ceiling in the first image, by the markings on the ICE in the second, and by a mixture of track, those markings again and the train itself in the third.
A neat detail is that the lines run from left to right in the first, horizontally in the second, and right to left in the third.
Pete
I agree with everything Minnie says, especially about the third image. Having said that, I think the second is actually my favourite, with the arcs stacked elegantly to form a beautiful organic pattern.
Pete
Agreed. Again!
I think the fact he is looking left, towards the empty space is important. He is looking out of the frame, into the unknown. Had he looked right, it would be towards his goods, to his goods and what he has achieved. As it is he seems to thinking about the future rather than with pride at his past.
Pete
Those tonal variations are indeed rather cool.
I am unsure about the smoke detector on the left. It draws the eye to a part of the photo without purpose, but cloning it out with my thumb leaves a large empty space, so the detector actually helps balance the photo. Perhaps the solution is to crop the left to remove the detector and the space at the same time, leaving a balanced composition?
Pete
Once again, by commenting late, everyone else has done my work and I can just agree with them. I agree with Minnie’s comments, especially about the balance, and also with Mike’s comments about pruning the trees top left to perfect that balance. Then I also agree with you to see what it looks like on a sunny day, although you may find the subtlety of this subdued version works better than stronger colours and shapes in strong sunlight, especially if the leaves are on the tree to spoil the balance between the branches and the flagpoles. But then, there may be flags to restore that balance 🤔
Pete
Pete, Thanks for commenting. I appreciate that.
"I am unsure about the smoke detector on the left."
Yes, It concerned me briefly, but the more I looked, the more I realized it needed to stay there.
" cloning it out with my thumb leaves a large empty space,"
Yup.
"so the detector actually helps balance the photo"
Yes, it does.
"Perhaps the solution is to crop the left to remove the detector and the space at the same time, leaving a balanced composition?"
No. That doesn't improve it at all. It's not a career-defining image. But it's a good image. The "cropping" was what resulted from awkwardly hanging off the corner of my bed, and holding a medium format camera upside down, struggling to center the fan in the viewfinder and keep it "square" to the sensor. I usually crop any image I make, a lot. The more I looked at the slightly awkward placement, the more I realized just leaving it alone was the best "composition." The more I look at it, the better I like it.
Rich
Looking at the smaller image, then it does seem that the background could benefit from being less sharp, but seeing the full-sized image, then it is fine as it is. The background is blurred enough that the girl stands out sharply, and the environment is sharp enough to give context too.
The facial expression is charming. It shows both a friendly connection and then strength and confidence too.
All in all a very good portrait.
Pete
This is a quirky scene. An innocuous building alone in a field. Intricately painted walls, and a hydraulic platform and arm. They don’t really fit, but there they are, captured for all to see. It could almost be an elaborate graffiti sprayer caught in the act.
The main wall shows vines, barrels and a scene in an inn copied from Caravaggio, so we can guess what is planted in the area.
I like the visual trick on the right hand wall. We know it is a flat wall, but the painting makeshift look as if we are in a corridor of vats in the cellar. It works particularly well looking at it as large as possible.
Pete