Dorothy Norman 1937

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Dorothy Norman, and well, you can just see how it was made. The tones are built up slowly, not in a rush. Look at how he's captured her face. It's so direct, and the light, it's not dramatic. Instead, it’s even, as if to say, ‘here she is’. Her eyes are really what gets me; they're so clear, so present. And the hat and fur piece, they aren't just things she's wearing. They’re part of the picture, but they don't steal the show. They add to the feeling, which is simple and strong. Stieglitz, he's like Edward Weston, in that he shows us how the light changes things, makes them into something more. It’s about seeing, really seeing, not just looking. It's all up for grabs, what it all means.