Wow...absolutely emotional piece; very moving, Dave. I was surprised when I clicked on the thread to see what it was...incredibly dramatic with chiaroscuro lighting. A lot of sadness in the piece for sure; but also some hope of comfort with the woman behind him.
I love that you created it in black and white - colour would have cheapened it. I've always been a huge fan (and tinkered with it myself) of black and white photography; which is what this looks like. I love the clothes (and lack of) that you also chose to put each of the characters in - the bare feet especially give a sense of naked emotion, even though the rest of her is clothed.
Well done, my friend, excellent and moving piece.
May I recommend, however, watching a good ol' fashioned comedy or two? I find a good hardy laugh - even a chuckle - can be excellent for the soul when feeling dark.
🙂
WL