Gezicht op Kasteel Cannenburch te Vaassen 1905

Henri Bickhoff made this photograph, Gezicht op Kasteel Cannenburch te Vaassen. What I love about photographs is that they capture a specific moment, but also invite you into another world. Here, the rigid castle is softened, doubled by its watery reflection. I can imagine Bickhoff finding the perfect position to capture this symmetry, while also being aware of how the light catches on the water. I wonder if Bickhoff considered that the most exciting part of this image isn’t the solid form of the castle, but the blurry edges, shadows, and reflections? Think of how that double vision might make you feel—everything we know for sure is just a little bit shaky. Photographs such as this one offer a way of seeing that is both concrete and ephemeral, and which makes you think and feel at the same time.