Untitled (debutantes in hallway) c. 1966

This photograph, Untitled (debutantes in hallway) by Robert Burian, captures a moment, or maybe it’s a non-moment. I mean, the photo itself is the moment, right? What I notice first is how the light and shadow work together, creating depth in a pretty flat space. Look how the repeating geometric pattern on the carpet contrasts with the soft, blank expanses of the debutantes' dresses. What is going on there? The lack of color pushes the focus onto the textures and the play of light. The dresses almost look like they've been made using the same stencil as the wallpaper. The eye is drawn to the woman on the left in dark dress with long dark gloves. This photograph feels almost like a snapshot, a candid peek into a private world. It reminds me of Garry Winogrand's street photography, but with a more posed, almost staged feel. What is staged, and what is accidental? In the end, though, it's that very tension, that push and pull between what's real and what's not, that makes the image so interesting to look at.