Christmas at the Sabatine's, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania 1983

Larry Fink made this photograph, Christmas at the Sabatine's, using his camera to capture a moment in time. The blacks and whites are so deep, creating a high contrast image. I'm imagining Larry right there with the Sabatine's, trying to capture the essence of their Christmas celebration. He is a fly on the wall. I wonder what it was like to be in that room? A woman smoking, maybe a little stressed, or maybe she’s just enjoying a moment to herself amidst the chaos of a family gathering. The texture in this photograph tells a story. You can see the lines in her face, the way the light catches her hair, the floral pattern of her blouse, all little gestures that build to a feeling. Fink isn't just documenting a scene; he's getting at something deeper about real life, the grit and the beauty. He's in conversation with other photographers, of course, all striving to capture something true about the human condition. Ultimately, it's up to us to interpret what it all means, to find our own connection to the image.