News photo critique

I decided to critique one photo I loved, and one that was so terrible I was just confused by its presence online. Enjoy!

From TIME Lightbox, by the photo editors of TIME magazine:

I loved this photo for many reasons. Technically speaking it's an excellent photo because of its use of layering and the rule of thirds. Additionally I was able to notice the concept of micro-composition, which Professor De Cesare explained to us, by looking at the man's eye through the trigger guard of his gun.

Beyond being a technically excellent photo, there is plenty of emotion present and really creates a reaction in the viewer. It conjures up a feeling of fear, which I think is hard to do in a photo; the fact that you see the eyes of the gang member and nothing else helps the viewer to connect with him without revealing his whole face. The story is about gang violence in Caracas, but the photo itself seems to tell a story.

From the Texas Tribune:

I was baffled by the awful-ness of this photo. The strange teal background is tacky and confusing- it seems like they were trying to fill up space on the page, but it just makes it an eyesore. It's a photo of the state's Medicaid chief Billy Millwee, but it's tiny so you can barely see him, and there is an obvious flash. You still have no idea that the story is about Medicaid just by glancing at the page.