I think the obviousness comes from the shape of the dark contour looking too much human like. Here is the cropped version without the doorway.
Its hard to completely get rid of the doorway if I crop any wider, but I can suppress it's presence a little bit.
Thanks, Phil. I will experiment more with this setup this weekend. I think I may have to reshoot the scene to capture it properly in the vertical format. I like the idea of focusing more on the stairs, but I also want to include the railings, because I think, together they give a feeling of disorientation. Its interesting how the mood changes on cropping/aspect ratio change, or adding tiny details (but not insignificant) like the 'eyes' (LOL). Also, including a hint of the observer's (me) feet and/or hands on the stairs or railings can again alter the impression of the scene, making it more dramatic, and less introspective.
Thanks Phil, I had to look him up, and I am enamored of the veiled, ambiguous, murky with psychological undertones and surrealistic even, need I say <sigh> Julie's darkness. I don't think I'm quite into the same thing. But I'm really grateful you brought him up, I just discovered a new photographer to look at
Robert Frank http://68.media.tumblr.com/83fbe6deee555ca8db5a13ec3437e720/tumblr_mm15lvUdly1qizk91o1_1280.jpg
............... Here is a reflection selfie by Atget, putting another man's head on his body: Eugène Atget, Au Tamour, 1908 [close, cropped] Eugene Atget Au Tambour, 1908 [full image] It makes me kind of dizzy as the face behind the glass jumps back and forth. ............
