Trees--Landscape 1941 - 1945

Robert Frank’s photograph, *Trees—Landscape*, is a silver print, all about the interplay of light and dark. It feels like Frank wasn't trying to capture a scene, but rather, the experience of seeing. I’m really drawn to how the light filters through the trees, creating these stark contrasts that almost feel like brushstrokes. The shadows are so dense, they’re like solid forms, while the highlights are these fleeting, ephemeral moments. Look closely at that small evergreen to the right, the way it glows against the dark trees behind it. The texture of the image is amazing. The grainy quality of the photograph gives it a kind of rawness, and the high contrast lends a stark and unsettling beauty. You can almost feel the quiet stillness of the woods, and the way the light dances across the scene. Frank’s approach here reminds me a little of Minor White, another photographer who was interested in the emotional and spiritual dimensions of the landscape. Both artists show us that photography can be so much more than just a record of what’s in front of us—it can be a way of seeing, a way of feeling, and a way of being in the world.