Cooley Library #1

a lovely environmental portrait, emmanuel.

i love the way the natural light bathes the subject and his surrounding here.

it captures a timeless moment.

Very nice sense of both a settled stillness and controlled, dynamic energy. The longer I look at this portrait, the more I like it. It is both simple and compelling. There is a harmony to the elements, light and shadow, forground and background and then there is the focued intensity of the subject himself, that places this is in a particular and telling moment, a slice of time that you have caught and realized perfectly. If I could rate this, I would score it 7/7.

The words of the great Jack McRitchie made me re-evaluate this image

again. Intitially, this was my least favorite of the many of these

library shots I took in the year I worked at the Thomas M. Cooley

Law Library. Yet, his words made me pause and look at this image

again. Of course, I love the way the light washes over the scene

bathing the subject in flattering side lighting, but it is the

subject himself that ultimately is compelling and forces you to

dwell on the image. There is something about him that just doesn't

seem to fit the scene. His face, his aggressive jawline, his goatee

does not immediately call to mind a scholar, but a man of brawn, a

bricklayer, an athlete, a construction worker, a soldier, the kind

of man Pushkin commented would look dashing in an officer's uniform.

Yet, there is something about his face, the focused intensity that

seems to burn through the page that suggests that he is here to

stay. And, in fact, he did graduate from Cooley Law School a year

after I left. Looking back now, of course, I understand what was

unique about Cooley, that the student body was by no means typical,

but a wide spectrum of society who came there driven by a single

goal, to make it in the legal field. It was this kaleidioscope that,

at l;east to me, made the place interesting.

A great shot. For such a simple shot, there is a majestic sense of composition with shoulders squarely braced and a focused stare trying to get some work done. But then in the middle of it, you've captured all this light, flowing around him. This isn't a dark dungeon of passive studiousness; this is a man of action in active thought. The bit of grain gives the impression of dust kicked up as he works. Great photo.

Serious, determined and inspiring.

Awesome portrait, tones and ambiance here, emmanuel!!

 

My best regards!

Outstanding ! Congrats !

Definately a good capture of "being lost in thought".Your dof looks great as the soft bg is detailed but laid back enough to force the viewers attention up close.

Very nice shot

Natural light and a natural tilt of the model, makes this image stand out for me. Regards.

Wonderful capture of this man so intent on his studies. I love the light and the everyday moment which would by most go unnoticed... great shot! Thank you for sharing. :)