First Impressions

[DGK*CRONE]

This is a picture of one of my best friends and her new boyfriend. She went away on a trip and met a french guy who she then started dating. He came to visit from Paris for a while. On the first weekend he was here, he came over to my place and made a few of our friends a late dinner. She just recently moved to Paris.

What do you guys think?

[Frog]

I think a vertical shot would have worked better and foucsed the viewers attention on their cooking together. There's really noting on left or right that adds to the composition and you've lost the top of his head.

[gahspidy]

I think frog is right about the vertical format being more appropriate for this scene, however I think that is not the most important issue here. For me, there is no moment of interest in the scene. It could very well work with this horizontal framing and as a matter of fact I find the objects on the kitchen counter to be the most interesting aspect of this photo but I think you have to wait or keep snapping away until you grab that golden moment. It may be when they are looking at eachother, or perhaps both having a hand in the pan at the same time, or a gesture, and emotion but something to provide interest for those of us that do not know these subjects personally, as do you.
I like where the focus is, on your friend and the counter. Usually having something closer to the foreground out of focus as is the boyfriend does not work but in this scene it feels ok.
It is only a better moment in time that was needed here, I feel.

[DGK*CRONE]

Thanks Frog and Ghaspidy! I appreciate your comments. I did take vertical shots. I didn't feel the same about these two as I did about the first picture I posted so I didn't post these.

What are your thoughts on these two vertical shots?