Elizabeth (Peggy) and Sue Davidson 1930

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Elizabeth and Sue Davidson, sometime in the early twentieth century. It’s a simple composition, but the tones! Look how Stieglitz coaxes a whole world of light and shadow from sepia. It feels soft and enveloping, almost like being wrapped in a warm blanket. See how the light catches the knit of their sweaters? You can almost feel the wool against your skin. The way Stieglitz uses light isn’t just descriptive. It's emotional. The girls' smiles and the gentle embrace certainly convey affection, but the depth of tone and the careful attention to detail amplify the feeling. Look closely at the braid and how it contrasts with the curly hair of the other girl. What does it evoke for you? Stieglitz later work moved towards abstraction, but he always had a knack for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, a bit like Edward Weston. For Stieglitz, photography was a process of discovery, a way of seeing the world anew and communicating that vision to others.