Minor White was an influential photographer, teacher, curator, publisher, and photography essayist. He distinguished "taking photographs" from "making photographs." By "taking photographs," he referred to straightforward photographs made with relatively little manipulation of the negative or the print. When "making photographs," such as this print, White made a series of decisions regarding the choice of camera, exposure, framing, and printing to achieve an image he first visualized in his mind’s eye, one that expressed his emotions.