I use here the dual abstraction of black and white, along with a silhouette created by backlighting, to isolate an individual in light, time, and space, and make that person into a symbol speaking of introspection. I made this image from the upper deck of a tourist boat that carries sightseers around Manhattan Island. In the color version, the deck of the boat was a greenish blue, creating a color emphasis that competed with the quiet mood I intended to convey in my image. The American flag hanging from the stern of the boat was far more evident in color as well – yet my image was not about national identity. By converting the image to black and white, I increase the degree of abstraction and eliminated the competing color elements from the image.