From My Window at An American Place, North 1931

Alfred Stieglitz captured this photograph titled 'From My Window at An American Place, North' with a camera and film, obviously, but I'm curious about what kind, as this has a lot to do with how much tone and detail he gets. It's a cityscape, and at first glance, it looks almost like a painting with its contrasting blacks and whites. The composition is striking, as if he made a painting, juxtaposing old and new in New York. See how the soft, fluffy clouds play against the sharp lines of the buildings under construction? It’s almost as if the photograph is not trying to capture a literal view but rather to evoke a feeling, an atmosphere. The high-contrast brings out the texture of the clouds and also gives a kind of starkness to the buildings which is so powerful. I'm reminded of another photographer, Berenice Abbott, in the way Stieglitz captured New York with such directness and vision. Both artists were deeply engaged with the spirit of their time, transforming the way we perceive the modern world. Isn't it amazing how a fixed image can be so full of life?