Circus Acrobat, New York 1936

Ilse Bing took this photograph, Circus Acrobat, New York, at an unknown date using gelatin silver. It’s a black and white image; dramatic lighting carves the scene into sharp contrasts. The acrobat in the frame is, of course, doing a handstand. She’s up there on the ball, spotlight on her, upside down in the world. Can you imagine what it would have been like to try to capture this moment? Maybe Bing was thinking about all the times in her life that she felt like she was balancing, precariously, while everyone watched. She probably had to take a lot of shots. She might have felt frustrated, unsure of what she was doing. But that's part of the game. You keep working, experimenting, until something clicks. It’s all about staying open to possibilities, and letting the image emerge through the process. It makes me think about the work of other photographers like Lisette Model. What do you think?