Snow White 

Abbas Kiarostami’s photograph, *Snow White*, captures a stark winter landscape with a textural interplay of light and shadow. A solitary tree stump anchors the composition, its rough bark a study in vertical striations, contrasted by the smooth, unbroken expanse of snow. The image is rendered almost entirely in monochrome, accentuating the structural forms and highlighting the delicate tracery of shadows cast across the ground. This is further enhanced by the presence of a small bird, providing a focal point that draws the viewer's eye and adds a touch of narrative intrigue. The shadows create a semiotic layer, suggesting unseen elements beyond the frame. Kiarostami uses the formal constraints of black and white to reveal the underlying architecture of the scene. The composition echoes a visual poetics of sparseness and restraint. It invites contemplation on the themes of nature, presence, and absence, thereby challenging our perception of space.