Sphynx, Cairo 1979

Max Yavno shot this photograph of the Sphynx and the Pyramids in Cairo sometime in the mid-20th century. It's a study in stone, light, and shadow. I wonder what it was like for Yavno to stand there, looking at these ancient forms? He’s playing with scale and perspective, right? Bringing the Sphynx into such close proximity to the pyramid behind it. The face of the Sphynx feels so present, so human, compared to the sharp geometry of the pyramid – or is it the other way around? They're both monumental, but the Sphynx has this weathered face that seems to carry the weight of centuries. I keep looking at the detail around the mouth and chin, so worn, as if wind and time are the real sculptors. There's something about the stillness, the hush, the black and white, that feels totally timeless. It reminds me how photography is so often about framing what we see, but also about feeling what we see.