Gezicht op Berchtesgaden, Duitsland before 1902

This photograph of Berchtesgaden in Germany, by V. Hassreidter, is part of a book of photographic images. There is something that I find really striking about the contrast between the crisp black and white photographic image, and the creamy, off-white page it is printed on. Like looking through a window into another world, or time. The composition is really interesting: we get a full view of the town nestled in the valley, framed by the imposing mountains. The contrast creates a feeling of depth and perspective that pulls you in, like in an early Ansel Adams shot. The image is so crisp and clear that every detail feels present, from the rooftops to the trees. It reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with a similar eye for detail and composition, although here we are dealing with an altogether softer subject. But both artists suggest that the mundane and the everyday can be seen as extraordinary, if we take the time to really look.