Actors--Filming "Steibruch" 1942

This is Robert Frank's photograph called 'Actors--Filming "Steibruch"'. It's a small, black and white photograph, probably shot on 35mm film. It depicts a crowd of people, some adults and many children. The men are wearing hats. It's hard to know what they’re looking at, but it seems as though someone is being filmed. I imagine Frank, holding his small camera, edging into this huddle of people, finding a spot that’s just right, then clicking the shutter. There’s something really striking to me about how Frank sees and captures the everyday. The composition has a kind of casual feel, but the way the light hits certain faces, the expressions, the textures of the clothes, it all adds up to something quietly profound. You get the sense that Frank isn’t just documenting a scene. He is offering a glimpse into the lives of others with curiosity, and with compassion. He isn't afraid of what emerges. I love that, as a painter, you too can be unafraid of what emerges in the studio!