Hi James,
Sometimes we are creatures of convention, too scared to try new ideas or go exploring beyond the norm. I am guilty of this; more often than not I have applied the mentality of a documentary photographer to my work more so than that of an artist.
By comparison, I have a mate in New Zealand who I think would be an inspiration to you. Doc Ross (www.gallery464.co.nz) is a former editorial photographer turned fine art photographer. He lives in the earthquake rattled city of Christchurch and for the moment his century-old wooden home and gallery is one of the few buildings left standing in the suburb of Sydenham. He often compresses the tones within an image for effect, akin to what you have done here.
One other technique that he often employs is to copy an image and then mirror it upon itself.
Normally if I was making this photograph I would be inclined to use a slightly wider-angle lens. Today though, I have decided to take a leaf out of Doc's book. I hope you like the result below.
Keep up the good work, Anthony.
Image Doctor's edited version
