Photography, in its most literal sense, means “drawing with light.” When you take a picture, the camera’s aperture opens briefly to capture rays of light on a photosensitive surface within. Darkness, however, has also been a source of fascination for photographers.

 See how Ansel Adams, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, O. Winston Link, Richard Misrach, Sonya Noskowiak, and Edward Weston used the medium to bring images out of the shadows. 

As its name suggests, black-and-white film photography is always a push and pull of light and dark. The works here guide viewers into the shadows and into the slow act of noticing what lies hidden within them.