Colombo, 2006, in Gas Works Street Possibly 2006 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien took this photograph, Colombo, 2006, in Gas Works Street. This photo is like a punch in the gut, isn’t it? I can’t help but wonder about the man in this photo. What’s his story? I imagine Rubinfien saw something in his eyes, a depth, maybe a weariness that only life can carve into a face. The light is so important here – it etches every line, every shadow, and it makes me think about how we all carry our histories with us. There’s a quiet dignity in his gaze. Maybe that is what Rubinfien was trying to capture. It’s as if he’s saying, ‘I see you, I acknowledge your story’. It reminds me that every person we pass on the street has a whole world inside them, a novel waiting to be read. Rubinfien’s photo is a reminder to look a little closer and to see the beauty in the everyday, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Photography is a language that transcends words, it fosters empathy and understanding, one frame at a time.