Nairobi, 2004, outside the National Archives Possibly 2004 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien took this photograph, outside the National Archives in Nairobi in 2004, using of course, a camera. What I like about this image is the intimacy. It feels like we’re eavesdropping on a private moment, right? Look at the man’s face – the intensity, the furrowed brow, the mouth slightly open as if he is in deep conversation, or maybe even arguing, who knows? I imagine Rubinfien wandering through Nairobi, observing, feeling the city's energy. It’s a moment of connection, a slice of life captured in monochrome. The composition is tight and close and we are drawn into this man’s inner world. The way the light falls on his face highlights the texture of his skin, the details that make him, him. And those details are what make a photograph sing, right? It's like when you paint a portrait, and you try to capture not just the likeness, but the essence of the person. This image reminds me that all artists are constantly in conversation, speaking to each other across time.