Georgia O'Keeffe 1932

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe without a date, using light and shadow to model her face, neck and shoulders. Look at how Stieglitz lets the light caress O'Keeffe's skin; it's so smooth, so subtle. The way he captures the delicate curve of her neck, the sharp angles of her face - it's almost sculptural. His soft focus gives an intimacy to the portrait. You can see the fine lines around her eyes, the slight furrow of her brow - details that make her feel so real, so present. Her unadorned features invite viewers into her personal space. It reminds me a little of Edward Weston's photographs, that same attention to form and texture, but with a tenderness all Stieglitz's own. It’s a process of constant exchange and reinterpretation – like a painter returning to the same canvas again and again, always finding something new to express.