Stumbled across an old image.

Shot this nearly 5 years ago. I was going through some old images in my archive this morning, actually looking for something in particular but stumbled across this image and was surprised I never processed it. Gave it a whirl and I feel like the mood and feel of the image really speaks to me. Looking at this, I can vividly remember this day. Would love some CC

Anyone?

The shadow to his right and the reflections to the left really distract me. When I block out the sides and make this a portrait format, it really brings out the lighting and the mood on his face.

Sorry. It just doesn't work. Sometimes hard shadows are not dramatic, just hard deep ruinous shadows.

Agreed, cropped as portrait and elimination of the distractions on both left and right would work best.

Thanks guys. Appreciate it! I guess being there, in that dark room, with his BMX in the background and printer off to his side (he's a professional photog), I felt those elements added something, to me, anyhow. But you're right. Thanks for the feedback. That's what I needed to hear

Here's another from the same day.

You were there, we weren't. Had no idea there was a bike or a printer in the background. Now that you mention it, I can see them. When I first looked at it, the shadow of his head on the wall dominates the left 3rd of the image, my eyes did not appreciate the table or the printer there. The reflections on the right just confused me, so I just tried to focus on his face. Covered both sides and I felt that the photo was stronger. Not the best lighting choice for your intent. However, I find how you used the hard lighting kind of interesting. I like how the lighting on his face is dark to bright going one way and the background is opposite. The main light from below eliminates nearly all of the detail of his right face, but we still can make out his R eye. Your fill seems to take care of any nasty shadows in his L eye socket. His black shirt has a gradient like the background and his expression sells it. Doesn't work if he's smiling.

Your second picture, not a fan. Not sure what you are trying to do here either. Its obviously a bright day with harsh lighting and you blasted him with the flash. There's no balance here, you give us an underexposed background so that my eyes are pulled to the nice puffy clouds on an obviously bright sunny day. There's the hard light from the sun and your flash from straight on. Again you cover the most potentially distracting shadows. I would again go with portrait format and crop out the sky, its giving us too much unnecessary information. I'd even get right of the sign, as the context of being out of the street will be lost and it will just be a sign floating over his head, even if it had significance.

Sorry for being a little harsh. just in that mood today...