Bestuur Corps 1938-1939 van leerlingen van de MTS te Haarlem 1938 - 1939

This photograph, probably shot in 1939 by Fotobureau Stevens, is a portrait of the governing body of students from the MTS in Haarlem. I'm immediately drawn to the black and white tones. It looks posed, maybe a bit tense, but I can imagine the photographer arranging the scene, the students in their tuxedos trying to look serious. What were they thinking as they stood there? Did they feel awkward or proud? Photography, like painting, is all about capturing a moment, but it's also about the choices you make in how you frame and compose that moment. There's a certain formality to this image, a sense of tradition, but also a hint of something else, something personal and human, hidden beneath the surface. These students are in conversation with the past, but also looking towards the future, just like artists do in their work.