Westlake, California 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, titled "Westlake, California," sometime in his career using black and white film. What I love is the starkness, the way Frank saw poetry in the ordinary, right? It's like he's saying, "Look, beauty isn't just in grand landscapes, it's in the everyday, the overlooked." The composition is really interesting – those rooftops kind of framing the street. You almost feel like you're peeking into someone's life. I can imagine Frank walking around, camera in hand, just waiting for the right moment, the right angle. It's like he's searching for some kind of truth, a raw, unvarnished look at America. And it's not always pretty, but it's real. It makes me think about other photographers, like Walker Evans, who were also drawn to these kinds of scenes. It is part of an ongoing conversation, inspiring others to be creative.