Rebecca 2005

This is Alec Soth’s photograph, *Rebecca*. He made it using a large-format camera, maybe an 8x10, and the print itself is pretty big. The main figure is a young woman holding a baby. They’re both dressed in a similar golden yellow. She stares straight at the camera and we can see her whole body. She is centrally placed, but the background is so drab it swallows her up. I wonder what Soth was thinking when he made this. He’s got this amazing talent for finding people in these sort of in-between spaces. The emotional resonance comes from the muted tones, and the woman’s unadorned presence. It’s not a glamorous shot, but it’s deeply human, right? Soth makes me think about other photographers like Diane Arbus, people who find beauty and meaning in everyday life, and in places that feel forgotten. There’s this sense of quiet observation, like he’s capturing a moment in time, but also hinting at a larger story, a life being lived.