Untitled (girl seated on chair, two brothers standing beside) c. 1940

Paul Gittings made this silver gelatin print of a girl and two boys at an undetermined date. It's all about light and shadow, isn't it? The way the light falls and reveals certain details, while others remain hidden. I love how Gittings uses the tonal range to describe the forms. The contrast between light and dark is so stark, it almost feels like a drawing rather than a photograph. If you look closely at the chair, you can see these subtle gradations of tone that create a sense of depth and volume. And then there's the way the light catches the girl's face, highlighting her features and giving her a sense of presence. It makes me think of Diane Arbus, who also had a knack for capturing the odd beauty of everyday life. Both artists see the world with fresh eyes, finding poetry in unexpected places. It's a reminder that art is all about seeing, about paying attention to the world around us and finding new ways to make sense of it.