Georgia O'Keeffe 1933

Alfred Stieglitz made this black and white photograph of Georgia O’Keeffe. It’s a portrait, but it’s also about light, shadow, and the way they define a face. It’s not just about capturing what she looked like, but more about how light and shadow interact, how they seem to mold her features. Look closely at the shadows under her cheekbones, along the side of her nose. They’re not harsh lines, but soft, almost velvety areas that give her face a sense of depth and structure. And then there’s the way the light catches her forehead, her brow bone. It’s almost like Stieglitz is using light to sculpt her face. The composition is quite simple, but it's about the contrast between light and dark, and the way those contrasts can reveal the inner life of the subject. In a way, Stieglitz's approach reminds me of Edward Weston, who also used photography to explore the beauty and complexity of simple forms. It’s like they’re both trying to uncover the hidden essence of things, and it’s a beautiful, mysterious process.