First XV: Theodora (2016)
[The last in a series of my favourite images, from my first 15 years as a professional photographer.]
In some ways, this final image was the hardest to choose - probably in part because the work I've done most recently is so fresh in my mind, but also because I think I've been doing a lot of good work in the last year! If I can be allowed to say so myself. (Hey, it's my blog, okay!?)
Having already posted my favourites of 2016 at the start of this year, it shouldn't be a big surprise that my favourite image is one that was on that list - from Handel's Theodora, the Pinchgut Opera production at City Recital Hall in late November.
As has been the case in so many of these First XV images, simplicity wins - a clean image with a clear point of focus is so effective, over and over again. The emotion in the scene draws you in, the bright red focusses your attention on Theodora, and her size in the overall image underlines that she's been left alone to fend for herself.
A tighter composition could have worked too, bringing out the emotion in her face; but leaving this much space around her isolates her in the frame more - just as she was in the story.
As a bonus, here's three alternate images from the same scene, just to compare & contrast:
If you've missed any of the previous images in this series, you can review them all here - but I hope they've been interesting viewing, and reading, over the past three months! (And apologies to anyone who was hoping to see themselves in here - I did have a lot of photos, and a really hard time choosing these few...!)