A middle ground image, I would think: the areas of over-exposure in the sky, the messy skyline, and the right-hand kid's arm over his face will all get marked down I would think. For me, somehow the dof doesn't actual add to the shot - it isn't a fundamental part of the composition: imagine, if the background were out of focus, would it make a great difference to the composition? Not to my mind (the goalposts aren't a significant enough element - the football tells us what's been going on). It has an unprocessed look, and I think it cries out for more work - to lighten the faces, darken the clouds, add some depth and impact to the figures. Also, for me, the colour detracts from the image, taking the eye where it might be better to concentrate on shapes rather than colours |