Bosgezicht bij Lage Vuursche before 1905

This is a photograph of a forest view at Lage Vuursche, by J.Th. Plomp. What I really respond to here is the way it’s not trying to capture a specific moment, but more about a feeling. It's all about atmosphere. The textures are so crucial; the way the light filters through the leaves, and the reflections in the water. It's not about sharp focus, it's about the grays melding together, so it's hard to know where one thing starts and another begins. It’s a very particular way of seeing, one that evokes a sense of immersion and quietness. Look at that spot of light in the middle of the stream. It feels as though we are viewing something in a dream. Looking at this image I'm reminded of another photographer, Karl Blossfeldt. Where Blossfeldt gives us every detail, here the artist uses the medium to dissolve them. It shows that photography, like painting, is an ongoing conversation, each artist responding to what came before, and offering their own, unique perspective.