Street Fair, Paris 1933

Ilse Bing shot this photograph in Paris. It’s a black and white image that captures a moment, a couple in profile, maybe at a street fair. I imagine Bing walking through the fair, camera in hand, seeing these two figures and quickly raising her camera to capture them. There’s something so lovely about how their profiles are softly rendered, almost dreamlike. The shallow depth of field makes me wonder what else was happening around them at that moment. Were there bright lights, sounds of laughter, the smells of food? I’m struck by the fact that Bing didn’t choose to capture the whole scene, but rather focused on these two individuals, creating a sense of intimacy and mystery. You can imagine them being anywhere, which is perhaps the feeling she wanted to convey. Looking at this image makes me think about all the other photographers, like Helen Levitt, Lisette Model, and Diane Arbus who were out in the streets making pictures. It makes me want to grab my camera and start walking!