Katharine Dudley 1922

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Katharine Dudley, sometime in the early twentieth century. The way Stieglitz plays with light and shadow here, it's all about a particular kind of seeing, one that's very process-oriented. The photo has such a tactile feel, doesn't it? You can almost feel the texture of the fabric beneath the legs, or the leather of the sandals. It’s all about these subtle shifts in tone and texture. Check out the way the light catches on the buckle of the left sandal. There's such a sharp contrast there, it draws your eye right to it. It's not just about capturing an image, it's about really engaging with the materials and light, and allowing that engagement to shape the final piece. It reminds me a little of some of Man Ray's fashion photography. Both were really interested in how the camera could capture not just what things look like, but also how they feel.