Plein met fontein en torens in Salers 1903

This lovely little photograph by Delizy, shows a square with a fountain and towers in Salers. It's a real sepia-toned dream. What strikes me is the light. The way it softens the edges of everything, almost like a memory. You can see the detail in the stonework of the towers, but it’s all a bit soft, a bit faded. It reminds me of old photographs in my own family album. Look at the way the fountain sits in the middle of the square. It is ever so slightly out of focus, but creates a focal point, and it is as if it's holding the whole scene together. The people around it look like they are taking a breath. It's not about capturing reality, it’s about capturing a feeling, a moment in time. It makes me think of Atget, who also had a knack for capturing the poetry of the everyday. A kind of magic.