I had a meeting with a student at Allegheny College and as I was leaving i saw this great light and shadow coming from th skylights in the campus center--I knew I wanted to make a picture. I made a neat frame of just the shapes in color and all I dould hear inside my head was our old mantra from photo school--'needs a person it!' I didn't really have any time--sometimes you have to wait a long time for something to happen just right. But I thought I wanted the picture enough to dedicate at least a little time to is. So I guess I spent about 10 minutes and made about 6 frames--this being my favorite. I was thinking this sort of picture is a black and white, but I was trying out new lens/filter combos on my hipstamatic and happened to have color in. In this case I think I'm glad I didn't change it, I like the secondary subject of the chair and in color this is more of a player than in black and white. I felt this was an example of many thing things I've discussed with my classes over the years--looking for light, using graphic patterns to set up the composition, try to harmonize your colors, create secondary impacts, have an action and most importantly--get a person in there. We lose fact that its a communication sometimes--and if we are communicating to people--giving human context is important--adds dimension and story. We have a neat light and design, but adding person adds story--who is it, where is he going, what is he doing etc..... We can make this stuff up and if really interested--even find out if its important to do so. Photograph by Richard Sayer