Militairen tijdens een schietoefening te Vlaardingen 1935 - 1945

This small, anonymous photograph captures soldiers during a shooting exercise in Vlaardingen. What strikes me is the stark contrast and how the tones create a sense of depth. It's a study in greys, from the near-white sky to the deep shadows in the foreground. The surface is smooth, as is typical with photography, but the composition gives it a gritty feel. Look at the soldier in the foreground, lying prone, his rifle extended – the way the light catches his helmet and the barrel of his gun tells a story of precision and intention. Yet, there's also a sense of the mundane, a routine being carried out. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s photo paintings; the way he used black and white photographs as a starting point. Both Richter and this anonymous photographer manage to find a strange beauty in the everyday, even in scenes loaded with tension. Art, like life, is full of these contradictions, isn't it?