Crenshaw/Washington Boulevard, Mid City Possibly 1994 - 1996

This gelatin silver print by Madoka Takagi, titled Crenshaw/Washington Boulevard, Mid City, presents a scene so still, so quiet, it almost feels like a dream. I can only imagine what it was like for Takagi, setting up the camera, waiting for the light just right. It's a scene in muted tones. The composition is striking, with the palm trees towering over the houses, creating a sense of scale and perspective that pulls you right in. The texture of the image itself, the way the light plays across the surfaces, adds to the overall feeling of calm observation. I wonder if Takagi knew she was creating a visual poem. There’s a sense of place here, a specific moment captured and held still for us to contemplate. It reminds me of the work of other photographers who find beauty in the everyday. It's about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.