Family--New York City no number 1959

This is a contact sheet by Robert Frank, created in New York City with photographic materials. A contact sheet is a direct print from a negative, and it is a crucial step in photographic work, a kind of sketch. Consider the darkroom work involved in producing the image. The subtle variations in tone, the density of the blacks, all of this is achieved through patient manipulation. Notice too how Frank has marked certain images, literally editing with a grease pencil. In its own way, this is a form of drawing. These decisions over which images to develop and print are so important. They determine what we see, and what we do not. Frank shoots and shoots, trying to capture something authentic and real in the world. But, the final image that we see has been subject to careful selection and a great deal of labor. That gives one pause, doesn’t it?