Straatgezicht te Chambéry before 1905

This turn-of-the-century photograph of a street in Chambéry, France, by Charles Puttemans is all about seeing, about what we focus on when we look, and maybe, what we overlook. The tones are limited, a study in greys. What strikes me is how the texture tells a story. Look at the shadows, how they create depth and pull you into the scene. The way the light hits the buildings, the cobblestones, it's all about the interplay of light and dark. The artist has captured a moment in time, but it's not just about the place. It's about the feeling of being there. The photograph has an incredible tonal range, from almost pure white to the deepest blacks. It's like the artist wanted to see how much information he could squeeze into a single image. It reminds me of some of Eugène Atget’s photographs, a similar eye for the beauty in everyday life. But like all great art, this photograph stands on its own. It invites us to slow down, to look closely, and to find beauty in the unexpected.