Welder with his Wife and Baby, Atlas Steel Casting (Working People series) 1978 - 1979

Milton Rogovin made this photograph of a welder, his wife and baby in their home, and it's like he caught a moment of stillness amidst the constant flux of life. There they are, lined up together – a visual study in pattern and texture. I’m drawn to the way Rogovin frames his subjects, a tenderness in his attention. The man’s patterned shirt, the floral curtains, the cameo on the wall, all of it works together to tell a story. What are they thinking about at this moment? It's fascinating how the light falls across their faces, highlighting every contour and line. I wonder about the conversations Rogovin had with this family, the stories they shared. It makes you think about the power of photography to freeze a moment in time, and how each artist builds on those that came before.