Stills

Akikana - thanks. Apart from the obvious activity of the child, it was afterwards that I 'discovered' the fourth face, which gives that little bit extra. The "intriguing" interaction is fleetingly, and largely not sensed by most I suspect, part of the character of the South Bank these days. I'm not sure that that is a bridge at this point but it could be an upper walkway past the bfi.
Working with wide angle (only 28mm here), I tend to work 'tilt' as various verticals allow.
 

This photo would make an excellent base for any discussion about composition in photography. Everything is right. Remove any one element and the photo isn't just weakened but begins a rapid descent into nothingness.

Yet equally, nothing is contrived (or at least, nothing appears to be contrived). It feels live, raw, dynamic, fleeting.

Rarely has the Arts Council moniker been used to such good effect.

I've said in the past (quoting somebody, I think) that a lot of photography is a way of saying 'hey, look at this. Over there!'. Well, this is a photo which says that about a child saying that. If you could get a third reference in you'd be up for the Turner prize :-)
 

In this case, I'm glad I'm not the first one in, as I did not see the fourth face! And I see the type of issues I get into with my wide angle lens as well, but sadly for me, it is well after the fact.

That said, I have found this an intreging image, and the values all seem to work well, especially holding all the details of the white shirt without blowing out the sky in the reflected window and detail in the shadows of the two figures. It appears that the child is pointing, but yet a little of an airplane move as well as the left hand is not exactly finger pointing and the right hand is slighly blurred with movement. It also has an odd blance to it of which I am undecided;- )
 

I am late to the game and everything has been said.

I ditto Colin.

The right hand movement is wonderful too.
 

I've looked at this a few times now and have been unable to figure out quite why and how it works, so the comments here are very helpful. The child and her position are perfect. I also did not immediately notice the fourth face -- agree that is a bonus.
 

I feel like I must be missing something here. While I can appreciate the composition, the content leaves me flat, and I'm not sure the 'hey, look at this' factor is enough to hold my interest. What am I missing?
 

For me this is an unorthodox composition. The human interest is looking out of the frame and I am looking at her back. I don’t see the extra face until I ‘zoom’ in and therefore it doesn’t contribute to the image for me.
 

"For me this is an unorthodox composition. The human interest is looking out of the frame and I am looking at her back."

Which is why I could not initially understand how it worked out, -- I think it is the vertical "pointing" made by her arms and fingers that kept me in the picture. It is like when you see someone on the street pointing at something up in the sky, so you look to see what they are pointing at.
 

Matt - I can't help you.

Composition is rarely something I consciously analyse in other people's photos other than to know whether it works or not; I certainly don't have a check-off list. But thanks for comments, which do make one think about how it can be difficult to divorce one's own feelings at the time of a shot from objective analysis, although I am no closer to answering Matt!
 

Matt - I'll try... I agree a picture of a small child pointing at a sculpture is flat (ubiquitous) so I do need to look for something else in this shot to raise it from the pool. Two things immediately jumped out to me: the sloping slab of stone and the face in the poster in the background. I need to work on/in the details sometimes to make the most of a shot. There are many great photographers out there who initially I just didn't 'get'. Most recently I think I have just started to understand Araki and my appreciation of his work (some of the nudes/porn excluded) requires a review of many others out there. But back to this shot. That stone slab slopes pretty strongly and without the vertical child anchoring it down the whole shot would fall out the picture stage left and be lost. The poster in the background is another pin/anchor to the sloping slab. The head angled very much to the opposite side counterbalances wonderfully and keeps it all on an even keel. The fact that the child's fingers interact so closly with the poster is an added bonus as it directs the viewer further in to the picture.
 

Akikana - it's difficult translating visual language into words but you do it well! There are also perspectival pointers and the depth given by the reflection in the plate glass.