At Anchor Possibly 1894 - 1934

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, *At Anchor*, using a platinum print, a process that gives the image a kind of velvety surface. The tonal range is subtle, moving almost imperceptibly from light to dark. It’s like he’s trying to capture not just the scene, but the feeling of being there, grounded. The boat itself seems to be sinking into the sand, heavy and still, reflecting the overcast sky. Look at that anchor in the foreground – it’s almost like a signature, a mark made with light and shadow, so that the photograph seems less like a record and more like a drawing. The way the light glimmers on the wet sand is so beautiful, so precise, yet loose at the same time. Stieglitz, like his contemporary Edward Steichen, elevated photography to fine art by experimenting with processes and celebrating the ambiguity that can be found in an image.