Bride near automobile--Reno, Nevada 1956

This black and white photograph, Bride near automobile--Reno, Nevada, was shot by Robert Frank. It’s all about light, isn’t it? How it can both reveal and conceal. I love the way Frank uses the grainy texture of the film to create a kind of visual noise, almost like static. It makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a private moment, like you shouldn’t really be there. The bride’s dress seems to glow, but her face is hidden, merging her with the car and the night. The composition is interesting, too. Everything is slightly off-kilter, slightly out of focus. It reminds me of Diane Arbus, another photographer who wasn't afraid to show the world as it really is: messy, complicated, and full of contradictions. It feels like a snapshot, an off the cuff moment, like a memory. These qualities come through in the image and invite a lot of open, unresolved interpretation.