Untitled 1992

This black and white photograph, by Thomas Roma, presents a group of women, with books, most likely bibles, in what appears to be a church. The making of a photograph like this involves several crucial steps. There is the act of composition: selecting the subject and arranging the elements within the frame. The camera itself—its lens, shutter, and aperture—is a tool of mechanical precision. And then, the film. Roma chose black and white, immediately establishing a sense of sobriety. The image bears the marks of its making through light and shadow. Consider the material reality of the photographic print itself: the texture of the paper, the delicate tonal gradations achieved through the chemical processes of developing and printing. Black and white photography has always carried a documentary weight, implying an unvarnished look at the world. Ultimately, this photograph’s power resides not only in what it depicts, but in the layers of intention and craft that have gone into its making. It’s a reminder that all images are constructed, the result of choices made by the artist, and the affordances - or constraints - of the medium itself.