Hi Frank: I don't comment on many photos but this one caught my eye. There are many different ways of looking at the approach to a picture like this one. Some may suggest you get down to the same level as the fellow on the street. It's a predictable response. I personally think the approach you took is a better one. You have captured the simplicity of the scene very nicely. The blank, concrete wall to the right of the subject suggests his isolation. The cropping of the extraneous material (his coat, water bottle etc.) adds to the simplicity of the photo and draws the viewer into the real subject of the image. (That is the kind message that this homeless man offers the people who pass by.) By taking the perspective you did, you allowed viewers to see the same image the passersby saw. You brought them into the image and made them a part of the scene, and maybe left them thinking 'If I were there would I have given this man a dime." One rule in nature photography is to try to get down to meet an animal face t o face. Nature photographers do that so that they portray the animal more as an equal rather than something that is of lesser importance, or is small, helpless and vulnerable. There are times, however, when a photographer wants to portray that exact message. In this image, looking down on this homeless man shows his vulnerablitily, his helplessness and works for me.. I think the image is very well done. I like the perspective. I like the message you tried to send. I think getting down to his level is a completely different type of picture, one I've seen many times before. This is a much fresher approach. Keep up the good work.
Vic
