Technically, presenting the near cheek (closest to the camera) in darkness and devoid of detail would fail a portrait.
However, the near side facial darkness in the blue-tinged image conveys a more threatening and menacing stature, which many would see as heightening its impact.
So technically wrong but maybe aesthetically right?
The other image also carries a degree of menace, albeit less. The punch bag looks a bit at odds with its obedience to gravity, due to it being captured while swinging.
Would it have worked better if hanging vertically? Maybe. In photography, our subjective view is eternally colliding with our objective view.
Both images were captured using one Elinchrom head into an inverted, opaque umbrella.
Bjorn
