Duitse militairen 1940

This anonymous photograph, “Duitse militairen”, of German soldiers is pasted onto a page in an album. The stark black and white tones feel so immediate, like we’re right there looking through the lens, but also so distant, capturing a moment we could never truly know. I’m thinking about what the photographer might have been thinking as they framed these shots. What kind of statement were they trying to make? What feeling were they trying to conjure? The graininess of the image reminds me that art doesn’t have to be slick to be powerful. Imperfection can be so much more human. It’s like a painter leaving brushstrokes visible – it’s about the trace of the hand, the presence of a person behind the work. The subjects are a blur, but that almost adds to the emotional punch. It’s not about the details; it’s about the feeling. It’s about the act of looking, framing, and recording.