RULE OF THIRDS

I wish I was doing this today.

Ahh Spring. I'm staring out my office window at the mountain tops, the birds flying by and the hodgepodge of motor vehicles and people walking on the pavement down below; I'm having flashbacks from elementary school days. The Coooold Alberta winters made spring days like this all the more appealing. I remember shaking in anticipation...watching the clock for recess so I could get outside.

I'll settle for opening a window right now.

This image was made in the seaside town in western France, Les Sables-d'Olonne. Literally right below this cement wall are hundreds of sun bathers (some of which were topless...now how akward is that with your 11 year old nephew?), umbrellas of all colors and patterns, children building sand castles and a herd of young adrenaline hooked men plunging into crashing waves (in speedos).
This woman hardly depicts the scene at hand and perhaps that's what compelled me to capture her image. In fact, I had intentions of getting a sea of umbrellas...and I did get that image, but as it turns out more often than not, the image I'm looking for isn't always the image that moves me the most. There are no limits with the camera--there are only limits with a closed minded photographer!

geeky photography talk:
Another issue to address about this image is that it sort of breaks the rule of thirds.
to learn more about the rule of thirds check out this helpful link:
http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds
Generally, I rarely compose an image with the subject in the center of the frame--for some reason, it often creates a bit of an awkward feeling for the viewer. But hey, rules are meant to be broken right?
In this case, I allowed myself the option of cropping in post production, but chose not to. For one thing, though the bike is not really the subject, it throws her out of the center of the frame just enough.
I feel that this composition contributes to her story...
She is the center of her world.
She is so engulfed in her book--her moment.
In my opinion, this composition works because it emphasizes the void around her.