Groep mensen klimt tegen een rotswand op before 1897

This photograph by P. Odier captures a group of people scaling a rock face. The image is produced through the medium of photography, a relatively new technology at the time. The grainy texture of the photograph, and the stark contrast between light and shadow, draw attention to the materiality of the medium itself, reminding us that a photograph is not a direct mirror of reality, but rather an image constructed through a specific process. We can imagine Odier carefully arranging the scene, perhaps even directing his subjects to pose in a particular way. The physical act of taking the photograph involved a complex process, from preparing the photographic plates to developing the final print, involving skill and craft. By focusing on the processes of image-making, we can understand the photograph not just as a visual document, but also as a product of labor, skill, and social context.