Picking shells 1908

This photograph, Picking Shells, captures a slice of life on what looks like a windswept shore. Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, the photographer, positions us low to the ground, right in the thick of things. I wonder what Kessler was thinking as he framed this shot, maybe something about the quiet perseverance of these figures against the backdrop of those hulking boats. The eye is drawn to the repeated bend of their backs as they hunt along the beach. You can almost feel the chill in the air and the dampness of the sand. It’s fascinating how a simple act, like gathering shells, becomes monumental through Kessler’s lens. A beautiful rendering of everyday life.