I came across this stunning portrait of New York City rap artist Theophilus London in this month's issue of Interview Magazine while waiting for an appointment last week. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I look at a lot of photography and this photo is easily one of the best portraits I've seen in awhile. There are obvious things; the bathing light, the gorgeous colors and fashion, London's engaging yet introspective expression, the richness of tones, etc... But, there's something more that makes this portrait, in my opinion, a work of genius: it's the counterpoints that hold it together, all at once allowing movement of the eye and grounding of a bundle of exceptional elements.

The counterpoints in this composition are positively exquisite. The main one, from the angle of the brim of the hat to the converging angle of the right shoulder, creates a dynamic dance of the eye around the subject's face; beautifully lit and perfectly tilted in the middle square of the top third of the picture plane. There's another subtle but grounding counterpoint at the base of the picture created by the lines of the corner of the room which gives the figure great stability despite it's delicate tilts, angles and movement. Lastly, there's a perfect line from the outer brim of the hat straight to the index finger and quiet gesture of the right hand, which converges perfectly with the meeting of the lower counterpoint.

There are other supportive counterpoints, but the two mentioned above are the the ones that hold this beautifully suspended moment. London appears agile and dynamic as if about to shift to another pose or maybe leave the frame altogether, which removes any feeling of forced or studied pose to this piece. It truly seems to capture a moment, but with presence of mind of the photographer to keep the mathematical structure of the picture plane pure, and the subject's essence, form, and inherent gesture alive. No doubt London's own vibe is a huge part of the voice of this piece, and the stylists knocked it out of the park with those sublime pieces of fashion. Kudos to all. I studied this picture for at least ten minutes in the waiting room and then bought my own copy just so I could have this image in my possession.

I effing love this photo.