Picture one, the light is to dull and too frontal. This flattens the image. The lack of contrast in the man and the cool colour just kill it. The background is too dark against such a pale reproduction of the subject. It is about sensitive selection of tones, colours and lighting plus the ususal human interaction, of course.
Picture 2, the colour is better the background is nicely out of focus but still illchosen, it is distracting. Stong geometric shapes, however out of focus are generally going to pull the eye away from you subject. Ditto bright red stuff.
Picture one, the light is to dull and too frontal. This flattens the image. The lack of contrast in the man and the cool colour just kill it. The background is too dark against such a pale reproduction of the subject. It is about sensitive selection of tones, colours and lighting plus the ususal human interaction, of course.
Picture 2, the colour is better the background is nicely out of focus but still illchosen, it is distracting. Stong geometric shapes, however out of focus are generally going to pull the eye away from you subject. Ditto bright red stuff.