Pablo getting haircut--San Francisco 1956

Robert Frank captured this scene of “Pablo getting haircut--San Francisco” with his camera sometime in the mid-20th century. Look at that shiny surface of the mirror, reflecting light, and the calm but firm hands of the barber. I bet Frank was interested in those contrasts. You can almost feel the sharpness of the scissors. I wonder if the boy, Pablo, was even aware of the transaction happening above him. Frank’s choice to shoot in black and white adds to the graphic quality. In his work, Frank often found beauty in everyday scenes, elevating ordinary moments into something striking. That barber looks like she knows what she’s doing. I bet she's given a lot of haircuts in her time. I imagine Frank, with his camera, capturing a fleeting moment, just like a painter captures a feeling with a brushstroke.