War Babies, Richmond, California c. 1944 - 1965

Dorothea Lange captured this photograph, "War Babies, Richmond, California," with her camera, freezing a moment in time. The photo is black and white, and the tones and shades are so subtle, aren't they? I wonder what feelings they're meant to stir. It's like she’s painting with light, and the faces of the mothers and children are the focus. It's so clear, so detailed, you feel like you could reach out and touch them. The little girl in the front, with her dark coat and wary eyes, feels like the emotional heart of the image. The way Lange captured her gaze, it’s so direct, and a little haunting, like she knows something we don’t. You see that and it makes you think about the wider history, about the stories behind these faces, and how the war touched everyone, even the smallest ones. It reminds me a little of Diane Arbus, that similar ability to find something so vulnerable and real in the everyday. It's a reminder that art, even photography, is always a conversation.