Paris 64B 1951 - 1952

Robert Frank made this contact sheet, called Paris 64B, sometime in the 1960s using photographic film. What strikes me about this piece is the way it shows the working process. It's not just about the final image but about all the in-between steps, the maybes and almosts. The red and blue markings feel like notes to himself, a kind of conversation he was having with his own work, maybe you could call them his own doodles! There's a real physical quality to it; you can almost see him handling the film, deciding what to keep and what to cut. It’s a peek into the artist’s mind, right? Look at how the images are cropped and arranged. Each frame tells a different story, but together they create a larger narrative about a time and place. Frank reminds me a little of Garry Winogrand who also photographed city life with a similar immediacy. Both photographers embraced the messy, unpredictable nature of street photography, and I think that’s why their work feels so alive. It's like they're saying, "Here's the world, take it or leave it."