Peter Beard, Montauk, New York 1977

Larry Fink made this photograph, Peter Beard, Montauk, New York, most likely in the 1970s, using black and white film. Fink’s photography isn’t just about capturing a scene; it’s about getting into the grit of it, you know? This shot, it's got that signature Fink feel—grainy, high contrast, like he's not afraid to get right up in the subject’s grill. What strikes me here is the layering of people, and the way he’s caught them, all seemingly caught off guard. There’s a beautiful woman in the foreground, her expression ambiguous, a touch of melancholy maybe? Fink often shot his subjects from a lower angle, giving them a sense of power or dominance. It’s like he's saying, “I’m here, I see you,” but also, “I’m not judging, just observing.” Think Diane Arbus, who had that same knack for capturing people on the fringes, or Garry Winogrand’s chaotic street scenes. The process becomes about bearing witness, about not shying away from the messy, imperfect reality of human existence.