I first heard of Horacio Cappola when I was abroad in Buenos Aires last Spring. There was an exhibit at the MALBA on Buenos Aires photography that included many artists. (I may blog about others from this exhibit later). Cappola was Argentine photographer who is known for his photogrpahs of Buenos Aires in the 1930s. He is credited with introducing avante-garde phtography to Argentina.

This photograph is called "Calle Corrientes" which is a prominent street in Buenos Aires. The picture is shot from a high altitude. So the camera is kind of looking down at the street. The photo has buildings in the lower and middle horizontal thirds, while the top third is mostly sky with some clouds and a portion of a building jutting into it.

The road appears to almost divide the picture in two vertical halves, but ends just a bit above the center of the picture. It's an interesting effect. The road is the brightest part of the picture, since Cappola had to use a longer shutter time for enough light to hit the film. As a result, some of the lights closest to the obelisk in the center have that streak effect. Closer to where he was positioned the road appears much calmer, with parked cars visible but no discernible movements.

With regards to contrast, the photograph has really deep blacks and bright whites. It's especially noticable in the windows of the buildings in the foreground. the obelisk is the whitest point.

I like this photo. I think in part because I liked the city and the train I took in the mornings ran under Corrientes. I'm a fan of the glow that the street gives off. With dark buildings flanking it. I think the balance of city to sky is good. Makes it clear that the city, especially the street, is the focus of the image.