Untitled 1910

This photograph of a young boy was taken by Lewis Hine at the turn of the century, and it looks like it was made with an old bellows camera. The whole piece feels deeply considered. The tones are mostly dark and grey, making you really focus on the face of the boy, and the stark contrast between his face and the darkness of the background behind. You get the feeling that the photographer captured the boy as he was, but also really thought about how to show him to the world. It's so immediate. I think of the artist Rineke Dijkstra, because Hine seems to be trying to capture something of a person's soul, and the weight of that experience. It's like a glimpse into a bigger story, but it also makes you think about the stories we all carry. This piece makes me appreciate how photographs, like paintings, can show us how to see and understand each other.