Thinkingby
andrimComment by ubique: Greetings from the Critique Club, Andri.
There's no doubt that you have produced a high contrast image, even though that was not your intention when actually shooting it. So I think there are two other aspects of the image to discuss.
First, the centred composition. As you predicted in your comments above, some voters did not like the centering and some did. My view is that slavishly following the 'rule of thirds' is just like slavishly following any other rule ... it's boring and it kills originality (I can't help thinking of your strange but undeniably original fellow Icelander; Bjork). However, the rule of thirds does work, so if you are going to depart from it, there should be a good reason. And in this case I think you have one; the two almost identical windows, with their similar reflections, make an unusual and interesting bracket around your model.
And that leads to the second discussion point; interest. The model is doing nothing in this shot. She's just squatting and looking off to the side in a vaguely distracted and passive manner. She's pretty, but that in itself isn't enough to create a high level of interest for the viewer. So if the subject doesn't stimulate the viewer's imagination, curiosity or emotions, then something else has to. Which is why I think you were right to use the more challenging centred composition ... it establishes something for the viewer to think about, even if it's just to consider how the windows and the subject together form a face shape. Not much to occupy the mind, but it is something.
My conclusion is that this is an interesting image only because of its odd composition. Like you, I kind of like it, but as I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Thyri, the image is not an especially memorable one for me.
Cheers,
Paul Martin
Photographer found comment helpful.