Street Photographer (A), New York c. 1950 - 1976

Irving Penn made this gelatin silver print, "Street Photographer (A), New York," and right away, I’m drawn to the controlled tonal range. It’s almost like he’s painting with light, building up these layers of grey, from nearly black to just-about-white. The texture is really interesting too; it's smooth, almost velvety, but with these subtle shifts in tone that create a sense of depth. Look at the photographer’s coat, how the fabric seems to absorb the light, compared to the metallic sheen of the camera. There's a kind of push and pull between the textures that keeps your eye moving. And the photographer himself, holding that cigar, it adds such a human element, doesn't it? You know, this reminds me a little of some of the work of Eugène Atget, that same attention to detail and focus on everyday subjects. It's like Penn is showing us that even the most ordinary moments can be transformed into something beautiful and enduring.