Through the Lens: Four Highlights from In Focus: A Distinguished Collection of Photography

Photography has a particular ability to move between the intimate and the documentary, capturing a single expression one moment and a much larger cultural story the next. That range is at the heart of In Focus: A Distinguished Collection of Photography, presented by Nye & Co. on October 8, 2026, with live online bidding available through Bidsquare.

Bringing together works by established and contemporary photographers, the sale explores portraiture, landscape, culture, and the expressive possibilities of the photographic image. Among the collection are works by Tono Stano, Lynn Bianchi, Didier Ben Loulou, and Valdir Cruz, with photographs that reward both close looking and deeper consideration. For seasoned photography collectors and those simply drawn to the medium, the auction offers a wide-ranging introduction to the many ways a camera can tell a story.

Here are four highlights worth a closer look.
Tono Stano, Waiting for a Stroke (Lot 42)
Tono Stano’s Waiting for a Stroke immediately catches the eye with its striking use of black and white. The tightly composed image transforms the human figure into something almost sculptural: knees drawn upward, pale forms set against a dark background, with a single eye emerging from the composition. There is a sense of both concealment and confrontation, making the photograph difficult to look away from.

The gelatin silver print is dated 1993 and comes from an edition of 10, with this example numbered 8/10. Signed, dated, and titled on the verso, it was acquired directly from the artist and carries an estimate of $3,000 - $5,000. 

Valdir Cruz, Girl from Mokarita-Teri (Lot 56)
One of the most arresting portraits in the sale is Valdir Cruz’s Girl from Mokarita-Teri. The young subject looks directly toward the camera, her expression quiet but commanding. Facial adornment, jewelry, and the close crop of the composition give the photograph a remarkable visual presence while keeping the focus firmly on the individual.

The selenium-toned gelatin silver print belongs to Cruz’s Yanomami Series, a body of work represented by several important photographs in the auction. The edition is unrecorded, and the work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the artist. It was acquired directly from Cruz and is also reproduced in Faces of the Rainforest, The Yanomami: Photographs and Journals by Valdir Cruz. The photograph is estimated at $7,000 - $10,000. 

Valdir Cruz, Gypsy Woman I (Lot 58)
In Gypsy Woman I, Cruz creates a portrait that feels both immediate and timeless. The sitter faces the camera directly, her gaze intense and unwavering. Rather than relying on an elaborate setting, Cruz allows expression, posture, texture, and subtle tonal shifts to carry the image.

Created in 1991 as part of the Guarapuava Series, this selenium-toned gelatin silver print is numbered 9 from an edition of 25. Like several of the strongest Cruz works in the collection, its provenance leads directly back to the artist. With an estimate of $7,000 - $10,000, it is a compelling example of the photographer’s ability to make portraiture feel deeply personal without becoming overly staged. 

Valdir Cruz, Shabono’s Interior After the Devastation Caused by the 1980’s Gold Rush (Lot 143)
The final highlight shifts from portraiture toward documentary photography. Cruz’s Shabono’s Interior After the Devastation Caused by the 1980’s Gold Rush shows a group gathered within a Yanomami community, placing individual lives within a broader story of place and disruption.

The title gives the photograph an added weight, connecting the scene to the consequences of the gold rush in the region. Created in 1996 and forming part of Cruz’s Yanomami Series, the selenium-toned gelatin silver print has an unrecorded edition and comes with a certificate of authenticity from the artist. Acquired directly from Cruz, it carries an estimate of $5,000 - $10,000. 

A Collection Worth Looking At Slowly
What makes In Focus especially engaging is the conversation that develops between its photographs. Some works turn inward, concentrating on the face or body; others open outward to questions of community, landscape, and cultural experience. Together, they demonstrate just how varied the language of photography can be.

For collectors, the sale is an opportunity to explore distinctive approaches to the medium while encountering works with strong artist provenance and compelling visual presence. For anyone newer to photography, it is also a reminder of what makes the medium so accessible: one image can invite an immediate response, while revealing more the longer you look. Nye & Co.’s In Focus: A Distinguished Collection of Photography takes place October 8, 2026, with bidding available on Bidsquare.com.