Far too much stupid in the room

I’ve pondered this shot since TSOT aired. I kept wondering why we were shown the hug from this angle. At first I thought it had to do with John’s private nature, especially his private feelings about Sherlock: so private he can’t admit them to his therapist after Sherlock’s “death,” so private he makes sure Mrs. Hudson’s not watching before he touches Sherlock’s headstone. Here, he hides his face behind Sherlock’s before hugging him, and we get a private glimpse of his face full of adoration for his friend, but the guests do not.

Then I realized I had it backward. This shot isn’t about John hiding his face from the guests. When I don’t know how to understand a choice of cinematography, I usually think “What would I have meant by that choice?” And I realized that my wedding photography experience could indeed answer this question. It took me a long time to come up with because I don’t usually go behind the altar during the wedding ceremony, but I have done it enough to know that this is the kiss shot. This is the shot I do when the couple kiss. It’s one of the most important photographs to get of the wedding day; couples always, always request it. The usual way to do it is from the perspective of the guests, from the angle that most of Sherlock’s speech is filmed in TSOT, but this is a foreground-background connection: this is the shot I do when I want to show that the couple are celebrating their love in front of everyone they know. 

"I hope you’re happy."

"I can’t believe you talked me in to this."

"I have an idea…"

"What the hell did you do?"

"Did you do this?"

"You look better in that than I did."

"Is it supposed to do that?"

"I’m pretty sure I like you."

"I’m pretty sure I don’t like you."

"How do I do this?"

"Why are you taking so long?"

"Have you seen my pants?"

"Was it something I said?"

"Can you zip me up?"

Sherlock stared down the stranger entering the room, taking in every hair placement, every loose button. 

              –scuffed, worn shoes; does a lot of walking running.       –dust-covered pant leg, lives somewhere large, hard to clean, probably old               –well fitted suit; tailored? Most probably.         –mud stains on the bottom of his trench coat, most from different areas; travels a lot.                     –hair dented just above the ears; wears glasses. Not currently visible means not needed often, most likely only for reading and smaller details, possibly long-sighted. 

Eyes narrowed, consistently darting over the man. Despite the basics and the obvious, Sherlock couldn’t find anything particular about the man; yet still he gave an odd feeling. 

     –eyes lingering on corpses, obvious repulsion of sorts: not accustomed to the sight of death