Longmont, Colorado 1982 - 1992

Robert Adams made this photograph, Longmont, Colorado, using gelatin silver. What gets me is how Adams frames the ordinary in such a way that it feels both intimate and expansive. The soft gradations of grey give a tactile quality to the scene, like you could reach out and feel the dog's fur or the crispness of the fallen leaves. Look at the way the light filters through the trees, creating these subtle shifts in tone. It’s as if Adams is inviting us to pause and consider the beauty in the everyday, the way light transforms a simple backyard into something almost magical. The composition is so carefully considered. The dog is placed just so, its posture suggesting a quiet contemplation, echoing the stillness of the scene. It reminds me a little of the paintings of Fairfield Porter, who was similarly interested in elevating the mundane. Both artists seem to be saying that beauty isn't something grand or spectacular, but something that can be found in the quiet corners of our lives, if we just take the time to look.