Originally posted by mtngal ... I like the last one even if I missed the focus here, too. I don't think the lens front-focuses in general, I think I need to go back to some basic photography skills. But I still like the photo.
I think that a terrific subject makes up for a lot of photographic expertise. Those folks (including the dog) all look genuinely happy and just delighted to be alive, and everyone likes to see that. Pictures that look posed are generally uninteresting.
It's how humans respond emotionally to the subject that counts, and all the photographic expertise, skill, and creativity that can be applied to the photograph should work together to reveal the emotional impact of the subject. I see it sort of like sculpture, where the mission is to remove all the stone that doesn't help reveal and release the subject to view.