Valencia, Spain 2 1952

Here's a series of still moments, shot by Robert Frank in Valencia, Spain. It's a contact sheet, meaning it's the same size as the negative, and the images are printed directly onto the paper – the evidence of light. Imagine Frank, out walking in the bright Spanish sun, his Leica camera in hand, a quick draw, framing the world. Then back in the darkroom, carefully laying the negative strips onto the paper. The light switched on, burning the image into existence. It’s a reminder that photography, like painting, is a way of seeing, of thinking, and of being in the world. Frank captured something raw and immediate, a kind of poetry made of everyday life. And, of course, you get to see all the tries that didn't make the cut, as well as the frames that did, with marks and circles around his favourites. Isn’t that kind of beautiful?