Picturing the Past

Photographing history is a tremendous challenge, so much of it is unseen. Lindsey Wasson’s work here for the Associated Press is stellar – you get a feel for the place and the people it impacted.

The story has many layers and so do the photos. The use of reflections and framing is strong, they are adding depth to the compositions, causing you to pause and ponder. Often, that pause leads to confusion as photographers, deep into the story and holding an understanding beyond what the viewer will attain, try to show things that can’t become understandable within the context of just the frame.

Here, Wasson uses multiple story elements to build a greater understanding. It’s elegant, clean and effective.