Woman With Voluminous Wig Manhattan Street Portrait Black And White | Limited Edition of 10
Direct Gaze Framed By Loose Curls And Leaves
I made this black-and-white street portrait in Manhattan after noticing a woman whose presence immediately separated her from the pace of New York City around us. Her voluminous light-toned wig, patterned sleeveless dress, direct gaze, and relaxed pose gave me more than enough reason to stop. She was clearly aware of the camera, and that changes the photograph. Instead of disappearing into the scene, she meets the lens head-on.
What holds me here is the contrast between her expression and everything surrounding her. Her face sits beneath a mass of loose, curling hair, while one arm stretches across the rough stone wall and her hand rests near the edge of the frame. Behind her, dense leaves and branches break the light into irregular highlights and shadows. That layered background could easily have become distracting, but in black and white it becomes texture rather than color. The photograph belongs naturally within my black and white street portrait photography, where personality and presence matter more to me than a carefully controlled setting.
I was walking through Manhattan when I came across her. New York constantly offers these brief encounters: someone appears, something about them catches my attention, and there is only a short window before the moment changes. Here, the wig, her posture, the direct eye contact, the bracelet on her wrist, the pattern of the dress, and the uneven light all became part of the portrait.
The composition has an interesting horizontal pull even though she occupies most of the left side of the frame. Her extended arm carries my eye across the photograph toward the open foliage, giving the portrait room to breathe. I especially like the separation created by the brighter strands of hair against the darker tones of her face and the scattered highlights in the leaves.
I offer this photograph as a limited edition of only 10 prints. Each print is personally signed and includes a certificate of authenticity, and I print it with archival pigment inks on premium archival paper. As wall art, I see it appealing to collectors drawn to New York portraiture, expressive black-and-white photography, and photographs centered on individual character rather than polished perfection. It also sits naturally within my people wall art collection.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2019
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
