Leaving Home

Distortion in this case matched the reality: walking beneath modern high-rises can feel surreal, oppressive even. The warped geometry bends the building into a looming wave that seems to crash down on the lone figure below—an ordinary person dragging a trolley bag, perhaps on the way back from errands or returning from a short trip.

The photograph captures a dichotomy I often return to: the indifference of urban architecture versus the vulnerability of human movement. I didn’t wait for this person. I framed the architecture first, then let the rhythm of the street fill the gap. When he entered the frame, posture slightly hunched, shadow tracing behind, I released the shutter.

Technically, exposure was tricky. Shooting upwards meant dealing with a dynamic range stretching from shadowed base to glowing cloud. I underexposed slightly to retain sky detail and corrected midtones later. Colour saturation is boosted but deliberate, serving the almost dystopian vibrancy of the scene.

In post, I avoided straightening the lines. Flattening the image would’ve betrayed what it felt like to stand there: small, bent under the weight of concrete optimism.