La Raya, Peru 1974

Ed Grazda made this photograph, La Raya, Peru, using gelatin silver. I love the idea of photography as an event - it’s not just a picture, it’s a moment frozen. The texture here is so important. Look at the surface of the church, all those marks and stains, like the history of the place is embedded in the walls. Then you have this figure, running, almost blurred with motion, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He’s a dark shape against the light church, a stark contrast that adds to the drama. What's he running from, or toward? The whole scene feels unfinished, raw, like a sketch. It reminds me of Robert Frank's work, that same kind of gritty realism and focus on the everyday. But Grazda's got his own thing going on, a kind of poetic observation. Ultimately, it's about the questions it raises, the stories it hints at, rather than any easy answers.