Angles (The Wharf) 1922

Margaret Watkins made this silver print photograph, called "Angles (The Wharf)", sometime during her career. The light is subdued, almost as if it were taken at dawn, enveloping the scene in a soft, sepia tone. Watkins captures a wharf with a small boat alongside it. You can imagine the stillness of the water, the quiet creaks of the wooden planks underfoot. I wonder what Watkins was thinking, framing this shot. Did she see the geometry first, the way the lines of the wharf cut across the water? Or was she drawn to the reflections, the way the boat seems to float, doubled, in the water below? The composition is deceptively simple, but it creates a sense of depth and calm that's really captivating. Watkins was part of a community of female modernists and was inspired by other artists who played with light and shadow to capture the subtle qualities of life. With this image, she invites us to see beauty in the everyday and to appreciate the quiet moments that often go unnoticed.