the way in

"I'm more interested in a photography that is 'unfinished' - a photography that is suggestive and can trigger a conversation or dialogue. There are pictures that are closed, finished, to which there is no way in."- Paolo Pellegrin

I came across a truly brilliant portfolio of images that Paolo Pellegrin did for the New York Times. And when I say truly brilliant, I am not speaking in my typical tone of hyperbole.

The images not only represent access - both physical access, into the homes and lives of these people, and emotional access, revealing the unfinished bits in the private worlds of public people - but the presentation that the NYT has used is outstanding - the images are big and nothing about the site distracts from the image. I particularly liked the insight that Lynn Hirschberg adds in the commentaries.

And then there's the edit; this is the part of photography that really sets the great stuff apart from the rest. I have to think that for each of the 8 subjects there are dozens of breathtaking images and yet, they've found a way to pare down each story to its essence, leaving you completely satisfied with what you've experienced.

There are a few of my favorites after the jump.

Mickey Rourke by Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos, for The New York Times

Frank Langella by Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos, for The New York Times

Robert Downey Jr. by Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos, for The New York Times

Sean Penn by Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos, for The New York Times