New York City c. 1960s

Garry Winogrand made this photograph in New York City, and what strikes me first is the way the crowd is captured with so much gray scale. It's like Winogrand is painting with light, turning a busy street into a textured landscape. Looking closer, you can see how the grit of the city is almost tangible, the high contrast makes the image feel grainy, like you could run your hand across it. The tilted angle of the buildings makes you feel like you are there, being swept along with the crowd. I keep coming back to the woman in the center with the dark dress and glasses, the way the light catches her face makes her stand out like a beacon. It reminds me of some of Diane Arbus's portraits, that same interest in the offbeat and the everyday. Like her, Winogrand turns the ordinary into something intriguing, revealing the beauty in the mundane, making you question what is considered worthy of attention.