Orkest van de Luftwaffe 1941 - 1942

This photograph titled, ‘Orkest van de Luftwaffe’ is, as far as we know, by an anonymous artist. It's a small picture, barely bigger than your hand, but it opens up a whole world. Look at these musicians. Their formality in dress and intent faces. I wonder what it was like for the photographer to capture this moment? The way the light catches the instruments makes me think about the physical act of playing. The black and white tones add a stark contrast to the light. It makes me think about improvisation, spontaneity. A bit like de Kooning, but with trumpets. I'd bet that other photographers working at that time felt a similar need to document what was around them, to translate a feeling into a moment in time. Each one speaks to the other, across time and place. Even anonymous ones like this one.