Walking Table in via Cornaggia

Via Cornaggia in Milan is not a place one usually associates with humour in photography, yet this image carries an almost surreal tone. A man strides down the cobblestone street, carrying a table on his shoulders, its legs pointing skyward like some awkward sculpture. His face is completely obscured, leaving only body language and context to speak for him. The everyday act of transporting furniture becomes, in this frame, an absurd visual gesture.

The narrow perspective of the street enhances the composition. The converging lines of the walls and cobbled path guide the eye directly to the man, amplifying his centrality within the scene. The geometry of the table mirrors the architecture around him, introducing an echo of form that tightens the frame.

Technically, exposure is controlled and neutral, suiting the urban environment. The muted palette allows the table and the red shirt to stand out without oversaturation. Detail is sharp across the image, from the foreground stones to the distant stop sign. The shutter speed freezes motion cleanly, avoiding blur while retaining a natural sense of movement in the subject’s stride.

The photograph succeeds because it does not overstate its subject. It offers a small but precise observation of urban life: a moment where function and incongruity meet, in the middle of a Milanese street.