Poplar—Lake George 1937

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Poplar—Lake George, using gelatin silver. The composition is all about contrasts, right? The wispy tree against the solid hills. The electrical wires slicing through the sky like some kind of man-made horizon. It’s a study in textures, from the smooth sky to the grainy grass. The tree, though, is the star. It almost looks like a blurry brushstroke, upright and alone. The light shifts from dark to light, and it's like the whole picture is breathing. Look at how the branches reach out, each one a little different. It's like he's showing us how to see the world, not just look at it. It reminds me of Georgia O'Keeffe. Both of them found a way to make the ordinary feel profound. Anyway, that's what I see. What about you?