Times Square--New York City 13 c. 1961

This is a photographic contact sheet by Robert Frank, documenting Times Square in New York City. Looking at it, I think about the way a photographer like Frank shoots a roll, trying to find the ‘right’ image, editing as he goes, circling the keepers with a grease pencil. I imagine him walking through Times Square, camera in hand, trying to capture the energy of the street and the people who inhabit it. The film strip format shows his thought process. Each frame feels like a sketch, an attempt to capture something fleeting and ephemeral. Maybe he moved slightly between each shot, or adjusted his focus, or waited for someone to walk into the frame. It is a document of his creative process, a record of his search for the perfect image, or the perfect moment. Each frame is a step in his journey, a conversation with the world.