Caught

A very original piece. The figure at bottom gives a very good sense of scale to the image. I would have cropped the small piece of the window at the top edge

Like the composition and tones.Nice angle and view point and show how big is that.
Very good light managing,too.
Regards(Bobby).

A beauty. Great distribution of light and space, balance and rythm.

From a strictly graphic point of view the image has considerable strength in the lines. As has been said, the towering building dwarfing the man could give rise to some musings about mankind and his structures.
As a photograph it feels lacking to me. I like Jim's suggestion about trying this in B&W, my only concern would be that in B&W it would look even more like a channel mask rather than a photo and it is already leaning too far in that direction  for my taste.  While I admire the boldness of the the experiment I am not too fond of the result. The photo does not have staying power for me, it ends up being something to glance at and move on.

Is this a black mask or natural shadow that really existed in the scene?
I think it might be important to have some structure at least in some parts of the shadows. As we still expect some shadow detail, even when the contrast in the scene is quite hefty, the image leaves a "suspicious" artificial impression. Even if we all love Photoshop, one would like to believe that the photographer has witnessed the scene just like it is reproduced in the photograph.

I think those who want or expect shadow detail have never used Velvia film; this is a very good "Velvia effect." ;>)

This photo is really original and contrast between light and shade amazing.

When I saw the thumb on the frontpage I was amazed by this great idea. I was eager to click it and see it larger, but unfortunately then came disappointment. The blacks are robbed of all shadowdetails, making the photo look unnatural. The other three, simular shots, in the photographers portfolio are much better in my opinion!

wonderful shhot, very good compotition and the light is perfect

Lonely and very unique i love it

impressive moment! The man's silhouette looks like it has just came out from nowhere and will fall, in a second, into deepest black again. Excellent composition and my best wishes for the Author

Nice concept. But in photographs I've never seen shadows that are pure black. For that matter I've never seen whites that pure white (RGB 255,255,255). It looks like the area has been flooded with pure black (RGB 0.0.0) pixels.
I am generally wary of photos where the blacks show absolute no detail and where the whites in the photo is the same color as the white of the paper. If pure white is visible the area is generally considered "blown out". I guess in this case its "blown-in". In a daytime situation pure black areas with zero shadow detail is, almost impossible.

Hi Phineas, I think you're right, but I also think it's important to realise that all photographs are processed, and that even though digital cameras come prepackaged with a default processing recipe, this recipe is no more "authentic" than any other.

The only processing algorithm that might realistically be called veridical would be presenting the light exactly as it was in the original scene. The Canon digital processing software ("Digital Photo Pro," I think) used to offer a "Linear" option that seemed to aim for this goal. The option may still be there. Curiously, the results appear extremely high contrast, much as Ed's image does. Lots of the image goes black, and lots of the image blows out.

What you're used to is the result of commercial algorithms that try to make the picture look ok to most people - certainly a good goal. The algorithms compress a lot, just as the human eye and brain do. I just think it's important to remember that those algorithms do not have philosophical or physics-based primacy.

oh my god... that is just amazing. how did you manage to capture that?

http://photographertory.blogspot.com

Hello Ed, I am glad to see this wonderful image as the photo of the week. You composed and exposed the scene just perfectly. Congratulations, Jana

I am influenced by having been aware of Ed's work for some time now. He has severely edited his portfolio, so perhaps some context is now lacking that I've been privileged to see over the years. This is Ed's signature and style. It's how he sees. He does it very competently and it seems intentional to me. Telling Ed that photographs should have detail in the blacks is like telling a caricaturist that the features on his faces aren't accurate. One can certainly like or dislike what Ed has done here, but it's so very clear that he is executing a vision and knows how to expose, that suggestions to alter the graphic nature of the black seem to undermine the entire exploration to me.

As for black and white, this might very well take on a different feel in b/w and some would likely prefer it. I like the way Ed handles color so I prefer this. The suggestion that it would become more noir-like I think is true but I would find that a drawback. Making this noir-like, I think, would cheapen it. As noir, I think it would feel like a caricature. It would become more palatable, more easily digested, we'd have a tried and true association telling us it was a "good" photograph, because it would mimic a genre we already know is good. I think Ed has more imagination and creativity in him than that.

[Noir is not limited to black and white, although that's how it originated. More contemporary color films like Chinatown and Red Rock West are heavily noir.]

I have just been alerted to the fact that my photo has been chosen as "Photo of the Week" and wanted to say how delighted I am, and how pleased that so many people have taken the time to examine the image, and contribute the interesting and thoughtful critiques that I have just read.
I'm especially grateful to all those regular visitors to my pages who have spoken up in my absence to explain and stand up for my 'artistic vision', if that doesn't sound too pretentious!
The series to which this image belongs has just been self-published as a book called "Inside the Hive" and I hope that if you have chance to take a look at this online, it will place the style and subject matter of this particular image in context.
Thanks again for your comments, and best wishes to everyone.

I always find the discussions around POW very interesting. I tend to agree with those individuals who accept the crushed blacks and the high contrast style Ed has shown in this image. To me this is a brave move, and an intentional one to focus more on the shapes and lines that the shadows create when contrasting with the illuminated areas. Granted, a little detail in the shadows may approach a more realistic version of the scene, but i find it more intriguing having to fill in the details in my mind. I think the man really balances the rest of the illuminated area, and that the shadow areas balance the illuminated areas nicely. A very creative image, Ed. Congratulations. After reading Fred's response I must visit your portfolio. Cheers.
Paul

I like the play of light and shadow in composition. What I find interesting is the unusual fitness of the tall building's form vs. the small man size in comparison, which are complementing each other despite the size differences.I find the "cut" angle of the building to the R , very special.I would have cloned the very upper small part of a window?. Other than that I find it a very original photograph of man vs. geometrical surrounding . Well executed .Best Wishes, Ed.

For me, this photo is an interesting study in minimalism. How little it takes to create an interesting image! Here, the little that is shown of the building is enough to convey the impression of its overwhelming yet rather uninteresting presence; and the little that is shown of the man is enough to give a sense of his relative physical insignificance, yet at the same time of his immensely more intriguing existence. As a species, he is the creator of the building itself. It brings to mind Pascal's metaphor of man as "a reed", so fragile as to be easily crushed by the world around him, yet at the same time "a thinking reed", whose superiority lies in his wonderful power of intellect. There's a nice tension in this photo between the two poles, and it is created with a great economy of elements.

Very nice!

Another very nice photo of the week to stimulate debate and conversation.

Amazing composition and lighting. I would love to see a little detail in the deep shadow areas. Congrats.

I have look at it every day for a week and waited to see what others have to say, it is amazing to me how deacriptive, OBJECTIVE and clear many member are. This image is a work of art! Congratulations!!!

Congratulation with the PoW! It's well deserved. You have a strong, personal signature, easily recognizable. The selected photo is an excellent representative. Your photos have been a great pleasure for me for several years.