Longmont, Colorado 1982 - 1992

This photograph of Longmont, Colorado, was taken by Robert Adams. The almost ghostly quality of Adams's work feels like an X-ray or thermal image, revealing something hidden just beneath the surface. Look at the contrast between the dark sky and the foliage, glowing with an unnatural light. It’s as if the trees and plants are radiating energy, a kind of silent scream against the encroaching development of the suburbs. I keep thinking about how, even in a seemingly straightforward photograph, the choices of tone and contrast can completely transform our perception. Adams makes me consider what we choose to reveal and what we leave in the shadows, both in art and in life. It brings to mind the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who made similar photographic studies of industrial structures, inviting the viewer to look at the world in a new way. Ultimately, this photograph is a quiet invitation to consider the complex relationship between humans and the environment, and the subtle ways in which we shape each other.