Untitled, Las Vegas, Nevada Possibly 1975 - 1978

This photograph, taken by John Humble in Las Vegas, captures a moment of stillness. The strong Nevada light etches bold shadows on the steps of what I imagine to be a motel. I’m immediately drawn to the figure in the doorway. She’s got her arms crossed, looking out. What is she thinking? What does she see? Is she waiting for someone? I imagine Humble pausing, observing this everyday scene, and finding something quietly profound in it. He then uses his lens to isolate this woman, set against the mundane trappings of the Las Vegas strip. There’s a real sense of light and dark, of starkness and ambiguity that reminds me of other photographic documentarians, but there’s something intimate and human about this scene. The shadows almost become characters in the play, as if they too are waiting. The image isn’t over-dramatized. It feels honest, like a conversation, allowing room for multiple interpretations, and lingering questions.