some kind of saint

[hardmongo]

what do you think?

i'm not sure about the background, but i think it adds to the atmosphere even though it's pretty messy

[Greg McCary]

I think it would have worked better if the wheel wasn't directly behind his head but that is a personal choice. It is kind of a compositional no no to have something sticking out of the head.

[Frog]

It does look like a halo. Just don't know what this is about.

[Anbesol]

I think the point was that it was coming out of his head.

But I think you forgot that he should have two fingers up, not one ;)

Very cool, the tree branches in the back are the perfect backdrop.

[MNRyan]

Yeah I'm with the other guys, I'm not sure about that wheel.

[hardmongo]

Thanks for all the comments

And like you say, Anbesol, the fact that the wheel is coming out of his head is the whole point. Removing it would render the image pointless. One can surely argue whether the picture has any point even with it, but then I ask: is a picture pointless just because you think it is? Or does that just show the world your inabality to make any connections with it?

Here we see a person with two familiar objects. An egg: one of natures most precious miracles, and a wheel: among the greatest breakthroughs in human history. They are connected in the tradition of iconography. The hand is pointing upwards into the vast space of the universe, but it can also be read together with the egg as a number: the finger being 1 and the egg 0; symbols of existence and non-existence. And all this time, the main thing that occupies his head is human inventions. Therefore, he is blind.

This is of course my personal reading, and I hope you laugh when you read it, because it is total comedy.

[Anbesol]

I thought it was a throwback to gnostic hieroglyphics, which often depicted saints with the halo, holding an object in their right hand, and holding up two fingers with their left to signify their role as a spiritual teacher.

It might have more impact if we could see the eyes.

[PrevailingConditions]

hardmongo, thanks for explaining what you were trying to get at. I was trying to figure out the significance of the wheel behind his head (coming to save the pro cycling world with a very special egg?).

As for the shot, I like the low key lighting but wish I could see a little more detail around the eyes.

My $0.02

PC

[Frog]

I got the wheel but didn't know what the egg and finger signified.
But then the wondering is good brain exercise.

[hardmongo]

I thought it was a throwback to gnostic hieroglyphics, which often depicted saints with the halo, holding an object in their right hand, and holding up two fingers with their left to signify their role as a spiritual teacher.

It might have more impact if we could see the eyes.

That's definitely the look I was after (just like I said in my previous post: iconography)

It might have more impact if we could see the eyes.

Thanks, I'll try that