Itchy Nose

[AntonioCorreia]

What captivates me most in this image, captured in a fleeting instant, is the contrast between the almost childlike gesture of scratching her nose and the woman’s attentive expression as she gazes off into the distance mid-conversation. It’s a genuine moment that catches her off guard, revealing something unexpected.

Her carefully applied makeup, immaculate nails, and elegant attire show someone who cares about her appearance and wants to be seen that way. Yet that gesture—so unexpected and deeply human—briefly disrupts the composed image and offers us a glimpse of something more spontaneous, more authentic.

In the background, people go unnoticed, reduced to silhouettes that merely complete the scene of the crowd.

[Geoff F]

The man is out of focus so I would be tempted to treat him as part of the background and crop tighter on the left side to concentrate on the woman?

[Round Tuit]

I agree with Geoff particularly since the women is looking to the extreme right.

[AntonioCorreia]

Thank you Geoff and André for your always valuable comments.

Why don’t I agree with any of them?

The blur of the man in the foreground shifts the focus onto the woman, who is strongly lit - even if only by the overhead light so typical of the city market - thus reinforcing the female presence in the image.
Nothing else here really matters except the woman, gazing into the distance in quiet intimacy with her occasional companion, while other figures, also blurred and set further back, wander around.
This helps establish the scene as a public space and highlights that her sideways glance is quick, fleeting.

But there’s more: she’s looking out of the frame, and there's no visible subject or area in that direction. Still, I don’t think that’s a problem. To me and going against the so-called rules, the image feels balanced.
Let me point out that another photo I posted recently here in this forum also features a boy looking leftwards, right near the edge of the frame. In both cases, breaking that supposed rule doesn’t detract from the quality of the image.

As for technical aspects, I’d just add that the blurring was already part of the original image. I was shooting with the lens close to wide open as that’s a look I particularly enjoy, even if it means taking a few risks when capturing the moment.

Cheers !