How does this picture work so well? It’s the background. It’s the placement of those two dogs against the brightest and darkest areas of the background/the rug and floor. That background is making it easy for your eyes to go right to the good stuff.

 

Little dog/big dog doesn’t hurt either. The reflection of the big dog in the floor is really sweet and gives it lots of mood which so many good photographs have…mood. The horizontal line of the rug between them is some kind of line of demarcation that sets the stage.

 

Also, that mess in the deep background just makes it all feel real and alive. Totally works.

 

But as a professional photographer and as a person who is constantly judging others people’s work I have to give a little round of applause to Christy for making that background work so well.

Fantastic photograph, by the way.