Description:

I took this picture of a lady sitting in a doorway because of the colour. The picture was taken on the Venetian island of Burano where there are hundreds of buildings, sitting side by side, each displaying a different but striking colour.

On a subsequent study of the photograph it started to appeal to me for another reason. The lady poses an enigma. Why was she sitting there in full sun in the middle of the day? What was she doing? What was she thinking? Is the door a rear entrance to her place of work and was she just taking a rest in the fresh air? Is she thinking about a personal problem or simply what she is going to cook for dinner? All sorts of similar questions could be asked but a conclusion is never reached.

The composition is nearly as good as it could have been. The door is placed on a thirds line, there is more space to the right than the left (the way that the lady is facing). The lady is placed on an intersecion of thirds. The picture would have been better if we could see her face more clearly. However, this is a candid, so to get a full face shot would risk the natural feel of her stance.