Tepoztlán, Mexico 1972

Ed Grazda took this photograph in Tepoztlán, Mexico, and it’s a real head-scratcher, isn’t it? The image itself is black and white, grainy, almost like a hazy memory. It's got this street scene with people, an old car, and then bam! A mirror smack-dab in the foreground reflecting a kid with something balanced on their head. You almost feel like you’re there, wandering around with Grazda, trying to make sense of it all. I imagine Grazda lugging that mirror around, waiting for the perfect moment to capture this layered reality. What was he thinking, setting up this shot? Was it about capturing a sense of place, or was he trying to mess with our perception? It reminds me of the way painters like Velázquez used mirrors to create complex spatial relationships and question what is real and what is not. It makes me think of Robert Frank, too, who made some pretty unique black and white photos, capturing the weirdness of everyday life. Ultimately, it’s up to us to decide what this image means, and that’s what makes it so powerful.