The figure obscured

Deliberately hiding or obscuring the figure would be one way to combat the 'conceited notion' that 'human beings are ultimately the only subjects worth photographing' (Metaphysics of the Photograph):

All but the last image were taken recently. It is not immediately obvious, but the oval object in the middle of the frame is an in-flight dustbin (trash can) lid.

I could not have put the point better myself.