Autoportrait - Boulevard Saint-Jacques, Paris 14ème 1932

Here, Brassai stands on Boulevard Saint-Jacques in Paris with his camera mounted on a tripod, probably sometime in the 20th century. It's dark; maybe it's late, maybe it's winter, maybe it's both. He's set up on the street; the cobblestones are wet or icy. He's dressed for the weather, wearing a hat and a long coat. He has a cigarette in his mouth, he's got his hands in his pockets, and he's ready to shoot. I feel like I'm standing next to him, breathing in the cold night air as he composes the shot, the soft glow of streetlights illuminating the scene. I can see him squinting into the lens, adjusting the focus, making the final tweaks before pressing the shutter. I imagine the moment of capture, the click of the camera, the brief flash of light, and the anticipation of seeing the image developed in the darkroom. It's about capturing a moment in time, framing it, and sharing it with the world.