Wellfleet AIII 1955

This is 'Wellfleet AIII' by Robert Frank, and it's a sheet of black and white photographs. I imagine him in the darkroom, hunched over, squinting at the emerging images in the developer tray. Isn’t it interesting to see the artist's selections? Those blue markings resemble brushstrokes, don’t they? They are so suggestive, marking particular frames, pointing out what's important. And the little AIII written in blue, like a title on the image, which it is, in a way. I sympathize with Frank’s eye, seeking out the telling moment. It's like he's painting with a camera, layering images, composing, and editing a story out of light and shadow. I guess that's what all photographers are doing in some way. Thinking of other photographers like Helen Levitt, Roy DeCarava, and Garry Winogrand, it makes you realize that they are all in conversation, each photograph building on the last, adding to the ongoing story of what it means to see and be seen.