This is a portrait of one of my friends when I was in the midst of a college search. She is sitting in front of the Sarasota Bay looking very depressed indeed. When I recently asked her why she looks sad, she responded with, “Cause my hair is ugly.” It has recently been cut.

One of the first things I notice about this picture is an odd phenomenon: an angle. Yes, when inspected closely (except for the fact that close inspection is really not needed to see this), the picture is angled. I’d say by a good 2-3°. While this number may seem relatively small, it’s obviously very noticeable. Angling can be very artistic when the angle is bigger but, in this case, it was a simple mistake. The right edge of the picture is also a bit too close to the girl and, speaking of the girl, I wish she’d not slouch as much.

There are also several background elements which I wish weren’t there. The random tiny boat, for instance, and maybe even the buildings on the horizon. They are so small that, when focused on, are simply a bit distracting rather than adding to the picture.

One thing you may notice about this photo is the defiance of the Rule of Thirds. Ah yes, the dreaded Rule of Thirds. For those of you not in the know, this rule states that, when divided into a 3×3 grid by using two horizontal and two vertical lines, the four points made by the intersections of these lines should have some interesting element there. Well, if you were to grid this image, you’d find plain ol’ sky on one of the intersections. If you want my opinion, keep the Rule of Thirds in mind, but don’t treat it like a bible by any means. I think this picture looks perfectly alright without some crazy clouds at that point of sky. Although now that I think about it… crazy clouds would be kind of cool. Curse you, good weather!