Nairobi, 2004, outside the Hotel Ambassadeur Possibly 2004 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien took this photograph outside the Hotel Ambassadeur in Nairobi in 2004. It's a tightly cropped shot, mostly black and white, with the greys doing all the work. I wonder about Leo as he framed this image, the decision to bring us so close to these women. The woman in the foreground is half-turned from us, patterned fabric like camouflage, a protective barrier. The other woman looks directly at us, catching our gaze with a touch of suspicion. Her hand gestures subtly towards her face, her expression is inscrutable. The contrast between the two women is so vivid; they're in the same place but seem to be experiencing completely different realities. The way Rubinfien captures the details of their faces, the textures of their clothing, makes me feel like I'm right there, in that moment, trying to understand what's going on. I guess, like most great images, this one is really about seeing, and being seen.