Untitled 1991

This photograph by Thomas Roma, made sometime after 1950, plunges us into a specific time, place, and group of people. The image invites us to contemplate the power of light, and how tonal range can shape our experience of a scene. There's a really beautiful contrast in this gelatin silver print, a dance between the darks and lights, that gives it a velvety texture. The light seems to fall most strongly on the faces of the figures closest to the camera, and the way their features are rendered is so tender. There’s a certain weight, a gravity, in the image, but it’s balanced by these unexpected moments of grace. Take the woman on the left, with her hand resting on a wooden cane. The textures in her face and hands are so expressive, and the way the light catches the headscarf is really sublime. It brings to mind some of the photographers working under the WPA, in the early to mid 20th century. Roma's image makes you wonder about the people in it and the stories they carry. It's a poignant reminder that the most compelling art often emerges from the simplest, most human moments.