Man in front of café, Paris 1951

Robert Frank made this photograph of a man in Paris, with film and paper. It's all about the grays in this image, the way the light catches the planes of the man's face as he raises his hand. There's a lot happening with the texture. It's got this raw, grainy quality, like life itself. It's not too precise. Look at the way the focus falls off, the background's soft, and the foreground's crisp, yet smudgy. It makes you feel like you're right there, caught in the moment. The light gives everything a kind of ghostly glow. It’s not about perfection; it’s about capturing a feeling, an idea, a vibe. I’m reminded of Helen Levitt, who was also interested in capturing the poetry of the everyday. They both saw the beauty in the ordinary. Both understood that art is about embracing the imperfect, the messy, and the real.