The Odd Couple

This shot came together almost accidentally. I had been tracking the pigeons on the sand, their erratic movements making them elusive subjects, when the man entered the frame and sat down. His stillness was in complete contrast to their nervous pacing — two worlds side by side, sharing the same strip of beach without truly interacting.

From a compositional point of view, the layering works: foreground sand, mid-ground human subject, and the blurred stretch of sea behind him. The diagonals created by the man’s posture and the birds’ orientation give the image a subtle sense of direction, even though nothing dramatic is happening. It’s quiet, almost muted in mood.

Technically, however, the focus fell where I didn’t want it. The pigeons are a touch sharper than the man, which makes the title “The Odd Couple” even more literal — the camera clearly sided with one half of the pair. At the same time, the Fuji X-T3 with the long telephoto delivered enough separation between subject and background to keep the sea pleasantly soft, despite the misplaced focal point.

Exposure-wise, it was a flat, overcast light — a blessing for avoiding harsh shadows but also a challenge in terms of giving the image depth. I leaned into the subdued tones rather than trying to force contrast in post, letting the scene breathe as it was. Even with its technical imperfection, the photograph has that small, unintended truth: sometimes the story is not where you think you’re aiming.