The Art of photography

ThePrinciplesatWork:InPursuitofExcellence

GARYLPRATHERStableonRoute128. 1966

Thepictureoppositeviolates

familiarproportions

withavengeance,reducingamantoamere

speck,dwarfedbytwoloominggramelevators.

Butby

turningtheelevatorsintoareasof

blackness,thephotographer hasingeniously

madethepresenceofthemanapparent,evenashe

cuts

him

downto

sizeThereisonlyonepath

fortheviewer'sattentiontofollow

—right

down

the

shaftoflighttothetinyfigureatthebottom.

Thephotographersawonlywonderfullyclean-

linedshapeswhenhecameupona

roadside

stableonerainydaywhiledrivingnorthofSan

Francisco.Theglisteningroofsappearedtofloat.

Hestopped

andwaitedfortheraintoletupThen,

shootinginsunlightandexposingtodarken

everythingbuttheroof,hechangedthestableinto

a

structureofanglesandplanesthatseems

perfectlyself-sufficientasit

hoversin

a

void.