The Art of photography

ThePrinciplesatWork:InPursuitofExcellence

Thephotographer

deliberatelyavoidedcatchinga

visualcrestofinterestinthepictureatleft.

choosingtoexposeinsteadatwhatseemstobea

random

instant,withtheoldmanpartlyhidden

undertheboardmghousestairsSuchdepictionof

"random"timeconveysanordinary,uncontnved

sortofperception.Andbyleavingoutsomething

expected

—

theheadofthesubject,

inthis

case

—-

joltstheviewerawake,/ustassuddensilence

candisturbacitydwellerusedtoconstantnoise.

In

a

portraitofthenovelistAldousHuxley,the

subjectisagainhalf-hidden

—

butnot,asatleft,in

anefforttoconveycasualperceptionHere,the

clevernessandpithystatementareparamount.

Huxley, ascathingsatirist,isshownspying

ontheworldwithonebespectacledeye

—

and

quitereadytodivebackintohiding.The

photographer

placed

a

lightbehindHuxley

so

his

shapecouldbeseenthroughthethincurtain.

suggestingthathewillbetherewatching

and

listeningevenwhenthecurtainisclosed

lb

ROBERTFRANKRooming

House

in

LosAngeles, 1955