Amsterdam (C). Vijzelstraat 1930 - 1960

This grayscale image depicts the Vijzelstraat in Amsterdam, captured through the lens of Hemo. Imagine Hemo setting up their camera, framing the wide street, and waiting for the light to be just right to capture the city. In the end the photo feels as though a painting has been transferred to a photographic medium. What strikes me is the dynamic interplay between the buildings, the patterns of the architecture almost like marks on a canvas. I wonder what Hemo was thinking as they pressed the shutter. Were they conscious of constructing a scene that could have easily been painted? What a process of observing, selecting, and then fixing an image forever. Even in monochrome, there’s a dialogue of light and shadow that is so vivid – Hemo is in conversation with a long history of artists, isn't it? Ultimately, this photograph reminds us that images, whether painted or captured, invite us to see the world with fresh eyes.