Untitled (woman kneeling down to adjust bride's train) after 1940

Paul Gittings captured this image of a bride with her attendant, using photography, at an unknown date. It’s striking, in its formal composition, like an old master painting, but made with a camera. I wonder what Gittings was thinking as he framed this shot. Maybe he was aiming for a sense of timeless elegance. I imagine him directing the figures, adjusting the veil just so, crafting a moment of serene beauty amid the wedding day chaos. The soft focus gives it an air of romance, but it's so controlled. The kneeling attendant's gesture is beautiful, a pose of servitude or care, making sure every detail is perfect. This idea of perfectionism and control reminds me of other works by photographers like Irving Penn, masters of the staged, the glamorous, and the idealized. It's as if these artists are in conversation across time, each adding their own unique voice to the ongoing exploration of beauty and artifice. It makes you wonder what ‘truth’ or ‘reality’ really means.