Kerstin's grandfather, the family farm, Öglunda, Sweden 1968

Robert Adams made this photograph of Kerstin's grandfather at the family farm in Öglunda, Sweden. I’m struck by the way the threshold of the door frames the man walking away, out into the world. I can imagine Adams, holding his breath as he presses the shutter, thinking about how to describe a life and a place, all at once. Light and shadow are so important here. The interior is darker, a space of memory and reflection, but it still connects to the outside world, to the brightness and openness of the landscape. It’s a powerful way to talk about family, history, and the passage of time. I think of other artists who use the language of light and shadow to evoke a feeling of a quietness and contemplation. The way Adams composes this image, looking out through a doorway, reminds me of the photographs by Eugène Atget, who documented the streets of Paris at the turn of the century. Artists are always responding to one another, even across decades. It's inspiring!