Barn, Lake George 1936

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Barn, Lake George, with a camera, of course, and a darkroom. The limited tonal range seems fitting. It’s how we remember things, not as they are, but as feelings. Look at the way the barn almost bleeds into the sky, a soft melding of tones. It’s so different from the way you might expect a photographer to work, all sharp edges and clarity. Instead, Stieglitz gives us something tender, and even a little sad. The eye is led to the barn by a dirt path, barely discernible. The barn is solid but worn. I think of Edward Hopper, a painter who explored similar themes of isolation and the quiet beauty of everyday life. Like Hopper, Stieglitz finds a certain poignancy in the ordinary, elevating it through his careful attention and unique way of seeing. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about what we see, but how we see it.