Bloeiende plant c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph of a Bloeiende plant, a flowering plant, sometime in his life using a photographic process that transforms light into a range of sepia tones. I see the plant in full bloom. The leaves are still dark, but the little flowers look like stars. I wonder if Tepe was thinking about the connection between earth and sky when he took this picture? It makes me think about the photographs that Gertrude Kasebier was making around the same time. They both found a lot of beauty in the everyday world around them, and also found connections between the earth and stars. I wonder what kind of camera Tepe used? I imagine him carefully setting up his equipment, waiting for the perfect moment to capture the light. Like all artists, Tepe was probably in conversation with other artists as they shared ideas across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. The simple act of pressing the shutter is a collaboration with nature, and can change the way that we see the world.