Stills

I have looked at this on both a crt and a lcd monitor. The lcd monitor gives a lot of detail in the RHS and the sky on the LHS is not that distracting.

So on my lcd I see this as one image, quartered. Four views into two worlds.
 

This looks like Edward Hopper revisted particular in the balance between light and shadow. The bit of light illuminated the face of the rightmost figure makes the shot for me.
 

I agree with John L on this photograph in that I do find the left hand side a little distracting. I do, however, like the exposure on the right and wouldn't touch it and agree with matt about the illuminated face. I like the neon too.

I wonder how it would have all worked out without the reflected sky on the left (I assume it's all a reflection)? Just the internal wall and the darkness.....
 

I can both see this for what it is - an abstraction of a real place. Just a slice of space. And I can see it as a creation of the artist's mind. Is this really a photograph? Surely it is a painting or a photoshop composite.

There are stories here.
 

Thanks for the varied comments. I have no doubt that there were many different photos available to be taken here - I was in a state of near shock as I tried to make sense of the place before we had to leave (could I keep my wife there all day? I encouraged her to explore the bookshop!). There are plenty of opportunities but also difficulties caused by the dynamic range between the light from the high open skylights and and the shadows at the base of the high walls. It is a wonderful building and you can see three other shots if you follow the link top right on our Stills page. What I was keen to show in this one was the state of illusion caused by the juxtaposition of differing materials such as glass and how people appeared or disappeared as a result of that. The sky I see as integral to this particular composition by indicating where some of the internal light came from and yet leaving one uncertain as to (in Dylan's words) what is real and what is not.
 

I'm with Matt on this one. The light on the face takes this shot to another notch.

However, I find the second lift on the left very distrcting.

Why? I have a natural division of the quarters and there is something of interest in each except the top right. It's probably one-in-a-million to get more of the lift in top right whilst maintining the effect of the light on the further right lift.

I hate to suggest crops because I believe them to be personal but straight across the middle horizonatal and make this a panoramic. Good catch.