Most of the people I saw on the busy streets of Yangon seemed relatively relaxed. This woman, however, looking out at me from within this caged doorway, seemed to be an exception. Is she concerned about her own safety and property, or is she being restrained within that entryway?
The color version of this image can be seen in my Myanmar travel article posted at http://www.worldisround.com/articles/139134/photo22.html . The warm sun dominates that image, making it seem as she is looking out at us from behind a protective gate. She sees to feel safe in there, at least for the moment.
When I converted it to black and white, the meaning of the picture seemed to change significantly, at least for me. The colors of sunlight have vanished. In their place, the shadows of the bars, particularly those moving across her face, are emphasized. She formerly seemed to watch us. Now we seem to watch her. Is she free to come and go? Or otherwise? Our imaginations must supply the answers. Such is the power of black and white abstraction. It has turned a street scene into a question mark.