Atlas Steel Casting (Working People series) 1987

Milton Rogovin's photograph, part of his 'Working People' series, captures a family's presence with stark honesty. I think about Rogovin, setting up his camera, searching for the right angle in what must have been a small room. There's an intimacy to this shot, you know? The way the family huddles together, their faces holding a mix of pride and weariness. The image is black and white, which strips away the distractions of color. I think about how Rogovin used light and shadow to sculpt their features, the textures of their clothing, the walls around them. It's like he's saying, "Look, these are real people, with real lives." It reminds me of other photographers who sought to document the lives of working-class folks, people like Walker Evans or Dorothea Lange. They're all part of this ongoing conversation about who gets seen and how they're remembered, don't you think?