Untitled (Howard with fishing pole) c. 1910 - 1912

This gelatin silver print of a young boy with a fishing pole was made by Alfred Stieglitz at some point in his life. The grayscale palette is almost like a distillation, stripping away the excess to focus on form and light. Look closely at how the light catches the boy’s shirt, almost blurring the details, and how the darks define the pier beneath his feet. It’s not about perfection, but about feeling. There's a real push-and-pull here, between what's in focus and what's not. This tension makes the image come alive. It’s like Stieglitz is saying, "Here’s a moment, raw and unfiltered." This piece feels related to the soft-focus portraits of Julia Margaret Cameron, but with a modern, almost blunt honesty. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about answers, but about seeing, feeling, and questioning.