In Road with Poplar trees, the most striking thing to me is
the play between light and dark. This photograph was taken in 1955 and I admit
to being very impressed at the beautiful contrast it displays. I suppose that’s
why Minor White is a master!
The shadowy road throws the ghostly trees into sharp relief,
and it makes them stand out against the sky and mountains behind them. The
texture of the leaves keeps catching my eye, and it makes me think of the
poplars that are all over the town I grew up in.
For such an organic photo, it is surprisingly geometric.
Poplars have a very uniform shape, and they play well with the dark, straight
road. The bars of the shadows of the trees are an interesting parallel across
the grass as well.
The vantage seems to be eye-level, and it imparts a sense of
travel. Maybe a bright summer day and a picnic, or a cross-country car ride. It’s
almost reminiscent of somewhere I’ve never been. Again, the shadows of the trees
and the darkness of the road draw my eye across the photo and keep me looking.
I believe the photo was film. 1955 after all, and it was taken
near Naples and Dansville, New York