St. Gabriel, Louisiana 30 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this tintype, St. Gabriel, Louisiana, and it’s like holding a little piece of the past right in your hand. There’s something about the sepia tone that feels both old-timey and intimate, like a faded memory. Looking at the woman's dress, those soft floral patterns, it's hard not to think about the physical act of creating an image like this. Tintypes are made by hand, and the process involves coating a metal plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera, and then developing it right away. This isn’t a photograph that you can endlessly reproduce; it's one of a kind. The subtle texture on the plate gives the image a depth, like it’s not just a flat surface but something with history and presence. The woman’s hands, resting gently, tell their own story, and that direct gaze feels both vulnerable and strong. It makes you think about the stories of the people that lived in this place. Like the work of Zoe Leonard, Luster transforms the mundane into a poetic and intimate meditation on life.