Vinaya Mathews, PPSA
June 2026 - Beauty Of Smile
Original
About the Image(s)
I was walking through a flower market in Chennai, India with my camera when I noticed a woman with a striking patch of Kumkum on her forehead, a traditional symbol of marriage in India.
I began photographing her from a distance, trying not to disturb the moment. But someone pointed me out, and she noticed me. Instead of turning away, she responded with a gentle, shy smile that brought warmth to the frame and made the photograph feel complete.
Exif f5.6, 1/200, ISO 200 Canon 6D 24-105 lens
4 comments posted
I love bright colors, and this image is a good example. I do believe that you used a smaller aperture than you should have and it blurred the background. If that was your intent, OK, but given the closeness of the subject to the background, I would have preferred that the background be clearer, and a smaller f-stop would have been better. I cropped the image on the right, as those storage milk crates really don't add much to the image, as your main subject is the woman smiling. Posted: 06/01/2026 06:29:49
Thanks a lot Alan for your time & analysis. the b/g was a total clutter, so I opted for wider aperture.
I liked your crop, what you said about crop, is right. Thanks Posted: 06/02/2026 03:42:45
I liked your crop, what you said about crop, is right. Thanks Posted: 06/02/2026 03:42:45
Vinaya, very colorful image. Very sharp and the smile on the woman make sit. I agree with Alan's crop. Posted: 06/02/2026 18:31:44
Blurring was the right thing to do because of the clutter in the background but I agree with Alan's comments. Perhaps to put a finer point on it, blurring of the image works if that part does not take up a large part of the image, just like Alan shows in his crop. Otherwise the blurred area is a distraction. In your original image, the woman is also too far to the left. The cropped image has much better balance. Colors are great (India is a photographer's paradise). Posted: 06/06/2026 14:14:36