From My Window at the Shelton, North 1931

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, From My Window at the Shelton, North, from his apartment using a camera. It’s a study in black and white, or rather, a whole range of grays, playing with light and shadow to create depth. You can see the process in the way he captures the city; it’s almost like he’s sketching with light. The texture here is so interesting. The buildings aren’t just flat surfaces; you can almost feel the brick and stone. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the buildings, creating these sharp, angular shapes. It’s almost abstract. The shadows cast by the buildings create a sense of depth. See how the repetition of the windows creates this rhythm? It’s almost like a musical composition. Stieglitz reminds me of Charles Sheeler, who also photographed buildings and factories with a similar sense of precision and abstraction. I love how both artists found beauty in these everyday scenes and transformed them into art. For me, this photograph is less about the specific buildings and more about the act of seeing.