These two portraits were taken on the same day but did not make it into my final selection.
This was the first portrait I took that day and I think it definitely shows. The couple were from Colombia and I’m not sure they really understood what I was asking of them. I remember the gentleman looking at his partner with a look of confusion on his face and this made me feel very anxious, which ultimately led me to producing some rushed images’. So much so, I forgot to place them with the castle in the background – an important factor within my portraits. Regarding technical aspects, this was the period when I was experimenting with different focal lengths and this image wasn’t consistent with the others I took that day. Compositionally, I don’t think the subjects are well placed within the frame, and as a result, the image looks rather compact. Also, this is the only portrait where the stranger’s appear uncomfortable, more so in their facial expressions, and to be honest, I don’t think they enjoyed the process.
This couple, from Wigan (technically not foreign) were absolutely lovely and had no qualms with me taking their portrait. I actually really like this image, but unfortunately there was only one reason it didn’t make my final selection. It’s a small thing that maybe only I would notice, but I think the ladies bag slightly affects the composition. Even though they are dead centre within the frame, the image as a whole appears unbalanced, due to the fact the bag is protruding too much into the negative space to her right side. With more experience, I may have spotted this and instructed her to place it to one side before taking their portrait.
Iain Barbour - BA (Hons) Photography 