Lower Manhattan Man With Hand Gesture Black and White Street Photography
A Direct Gaze and Raised Hand Before Reflective Storefront Glass
I approached this man in Lower Manhattan and asked if I could make a portrait. Within seconds, he responded with this pose, looking directly at my camera and lifting one hand. I photographed that brief encounter in black and white, keeping the storefront glass and street reflections behind him as part of the setting.
His glasses frame the eyes, while long hair and a beard give the face a distinctive outline. The raised hand sits close to the chest, with the thumb and little finger extended. Bracelets and a necklace add smaller points of detail around the gesture, and the dark shirt keeps the face and hand prominent. Behind him, reflected windows and large storefront lettering provide a city pattern without taking attention away from the portrait.
What I value in this photograph is the exchange that made it possible. A short conversation on a busy sidewalk gave me a moment in which the subject could respond in his own way. I kept the view close enough for the expression and gesture to remain clear, while leaving enough background to show where we met. The vertical door frame and reflected buildings give the composition structure around his shoulders. Looking at the image now, I return first to the direct gaze, then to the lifted hand that became the defining part of our brief encounter.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2019
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About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
