Helen Vernallis, near Tracy, California 1949

Dorothea Lange made this photograph of Helen Vernallis, near Tracy, California; it’s a gelatin silver print. I think what stands out here is the way Lange composes the shot from a low angle, making the woman’s figure seem monumental against the sky. Look how the soft, diffused light wraps around Helen’s form, creating a gentle contrast between her and the cloudscape behind. There's a beautiful simplicity in the tonal range, mostly greys, giving the image a timeless quality. The texture in the sky is incredible, you can almost feel the movement of the clouds. Notice that thin, almost invisible wire cutting across the scene, too. It adds a slight tension, doesn’t it? Lange’s work reminds me a bit of Walker Evans, particularly in her commitment to capturing the human condition with such empathy. Both artists were interested in showing the dignity of everyday people. This photograph, like much of her work, invites us to see the world with a little more tenderness, doesn't it?