Seagulls, Provincetown 1949

Sid Grossman made this photograph, "Seagulls, Provincetown", and the way he coaxes shades of grey from light feels so much like drawing. It's like he’s painting with a camera. Look how the water seems to churn and foam, captured mid-swirl. It's almost like an abstract expressionist painting, all energy and movement. The seagulls, some frozen in flight, others bobbing on the surface, create this wonderful dance between stillness and motion. I love the way Grossman uses contrast, with the dark birds popping against the lighter water. There's a real push and pull between the elements, creating a sense of depth and drama. It reminds me a little of Minor White's mystical landscapes, or perhaps even some of the more brooding seascapes of someone like Albert Pinkham Ryder. There's something about the way Grossman captures the raw, untamed beauty of nature, a sense of something elemental and enduring.