Maria Montiel
Lee Friedlander, "New City, N.Y."
1971
This image caught my eye because it reminded me of a photograph of myself spontaneously taken by my ex-boyfriend. The woman in the image is Lee Friedlander's wife, who also happens be named Maria. She attempts to cover block off the camera with her arms, however, she does not come off as angry or upset. I wonder if there were multiple attempts at taking this photograph, but when I first saw it, I thought this was just a quick impromptu snapshot of a playful, intimate moment. I think it is very brazen to share an image like this with the world, because this image is not just about the subject in the photograph, it shows insight about Lee and Maria's relationship. I like this image the most because of its authentic intimate nature that could not be duplicated with a different subject.
