Prompt
· English
Dutch angle with the horizon tilted about twenty degrees, framing a 78-year-old man of Melanesian descent seated on a night train, his head bowed looking down at a heavy wool coat draped over his lap. The man has deep espresso-brown skin, a very short athletic build, and a face wider at the jaw than at the temples, with hazel eyes that appear glassy with held-back tears and lips pressed together in a tight line. His thick coarse straight hair is cut in a buzz cut, dyed lilac and neatly trimmed. He wears a yellow rain jacket with the hood down and rubber boots, though his lower legs are obscured by the seat. A ticket stub is tucked visibly under the sleeve of the wool coat on his lap. The train window glass is covered in condensation, blurring the passing dark landscape outside while reflecting the interior lights of the carriage. The vibration of the train creates a motion blur in the scenery visible through the glass. The 85mm lens from a few metres compresses the background, keeping the passenger sharp while the environment softens. Sunlight filters through coloured glass, throwing patches of red, blue, and amber light across the man’s face and the wool texture of the coat. The main figure is cut by the frame edge, with only part of his body included in the picture. Shot on a medium format digital back with a shallow depth of field, capturing the grain of the wool and the condensation on the glass with high fidelity.
