Quote:
Originally Posted by
mafoofan 
Thanks guys, the critiques are very helpful. I hate when background objects sprout out of people like that--I wrongly assumed the shallow depth of field would take of the vase. Yes, there was very little light.
Well, I don't think it's that bad. The shallow depth helps diminish the negative effect.
A bit busy, I think. You don't crop your pics, do you?
Here's what I may have done. I cropped some of the right side of the pic, to get rid of the leaves and the spire next to the lamp post, a bit on the left, to get rid of the spot on the street that sits against the frame of the pic, and a bit from the top: I don't mind the top of the tower isn't visible, but it seems to be
just not visible, so I chopped it a bit more radical.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
I don't know whether it's an improvement, but I think the picture would have been better with fewer elements in it, if you know what I mean. That's what I tried to show.