Muthoni - I like your image very much and think the photo showing all the pedestrians and buildings is much more interesting than the "original" showing the woman standing alone. I can't help wondering how the result would have looked if you had been standing more to the right so that the pedestrians and buildings were seen primarily in reflection - not sure if that would have been possible - just wondering about what else might have been possible with such a great subject and background. Very nice image!   Posted: 07/03/2025 04:52:31

Nice image Muthoni. The lady with the attire and that head gear takes attention. Other than PJD this image is also very suitable as an environmental portrait. I like the unusual angle of the frame. The wide angle is perfectly utilized. Agree with Richard, the woman standing alone is not so interesting. But the environment makes it very meaningful   Posted: 07/03/2025 11:48:35

Hi Muthoni. You have captured a fine-looking lady in closeup with many background figures slightly blurred. Nothing wrong with the subject or background a very typical street scene but with no explanation of why she is dressed this way or this is how she looks at any time. The issue I have with this photo is the lady you say has posed. Last month's photo of mine was a posed photo with my wife as the subject and Jen said this was not allowed in HI. I have also raised this question in Jen's photo this month. To pose or not to pose, this is the question. Some may say it's not following rules of life that matters it is getting caught, that's the matter.   Posted: 07/04/2025 21:51:09

Having read your explanation for this image and observations of others, Muthoni, I appreciate you for speaking truth in this study group that the lady was deliberately added or made to pose to enhance the impact. This is not allowed in PJ. But I accept it as this is a study group and you have shared truth with others. Your initiative has served well.
I know some experienced and professional photo-journalists who cleverly organise situations to make their images look strong in content.
Any way, thanks for being truthful.   Posted: 07/05/2025 02:11:35

Hi Muthoni, there is no doubt who is your main subject, and you have done well to make her sharp and prominent, while telling the story of the environment behind her. The aperture choice has made the background less prominent. Her costume, makeup and tattoos are all interesting aspects of this image. While I am guessing she has the skin tones of someone from Latin America, I do find the face just a little orange and might benefit from a small reduction in saturation.
Subhash is correct to suggest the second image may be considered 'staged' in that you have placed her away from the crowd 'for the purpose of taking a photograph', and this would not be considered suitable for a PJ image. This is a tough one, if you were to engage with her and then she looked at your camera 'while still being part of the original environment', this would be allowed but deliberately setting up a scene is not.
That's not to say there is anything wrong with your second image, you just shouldn't enter this into a PJ competition. I do commend you for engaging with her and asking her to pose. This can take some courage on the street.   Posted: 07/07/2025 00:37:24

Muthoni, great image and very proper subject. Interesting the tatoo's she has on her chest, outlining what the sutures would look like after an autopsy in a corpse.   Posted: 07/08/2025 10:52:40

Very colorful and detailed image. The colored braids, the head ware, the eyes - lips and placement of dots on her face all add great detail and interest. I do have to agree with the others on her being asked to pose.   Posted: 07/14/2025 11:21:31