Kuta Beach, Bali, 2007, on Kuta Beach Possibly 2007 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien made this photograph on Kuta Beach, Bali, in 2007. It’s a pretty classic black and white photo with a tight crop on these Balinese faces. But what gets me is how the focus is super sharp on the woman in the middle, while everyone else is just a bit blurry. It’s like that moment when you're trying to figure out what's going on in a crowd and your eyes lock onto one face, and suddenly everything else fades away. The texture is great, you can almost feel the sea breeze messing with her hair. Her expression is what really grabs you. Is she annoyed, thoughtful, or just tired of having her picture taken? The background is out of focus, like it's all just a supporting cast for her story. Think of other photographers who captured fleeting moments, like Garry Winogrand or Robert Frank. They’re all part of this great conversation about what it means to be human, caught in a single frame. There's no right or wrong answer, it's all about what you see.