The Brown Sisters, Brewster, Massachusetts 2001

Nicholas Nixon made this photograph of The Brown Sisters in Brewster, Massachusetts. The photo is a study in light and shadow, rendered in grayscale. It’s fascinating how Nixon uses these elements to carve out each sister’s face and form. Take a look at the texture of the image. It’s grainy, which adds a layer of grit to the otherwise serene scene. It makes you feel like you could reach out and touch the very fabric of the photograph. The shallow depth of field blurs the background, drawing all attention to the four sisters. The contrast is subtle, not too harsh, giving a softness to their features. The composition is simple, yet powerful. There is a timelessness to the image. Like the works of Lisette Model or Diane Arbus, Nixon finds poetry in the everyday. And like those photographers, he reminds us that beauty resides in simplicity.