Seagulls, Provincetown 1949

Sid Grossman made this photograph of seagulls in Provincetown, and when I look at it, I'm drawn to the way the light dances on the water, creating a shifting, shimmering surface. It's a bit like looking at a very fluid abstract painting. The tones are so rich, ranging from deep blacks to soft grays, capturing the motion of the birds as they dive into the water. Look at the textures created by the ripples and reflections. It’s almost like the water itself is a living, breathing thing. The light and shadow play tricks on your eyes, making it hard to tell what's solid and what's just a reflection. It is like a painting where the brushstrokes are replaced by light and water. Grossman was part of the Photo League, a group of photographers documenting everyday life in New York. But I can see the influence of someone like Alfred Stieglitz here, an artist who approached photography with a painterly sensibility, always trying to capture the essence of a moment.