Dennis Leger, Angola, Louisiana 19 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this photograph, Dennis Leger, Angola, Louisiana, using the 19th-century tintype process. The deep blacks and creamy yellows are what grab me first. It's like looking at an old memory, something just out of reach but still vivid. The surface has this beautiful, almost ghostly texture. It's not smooth or perfect; you can see the marks of the process, the imperfections that make it real. Those subtle details—scratches and spots—add a whole other layer of depth to the image. I'm drawn to the way the light catches the man's face, especially around his eyes. There's so much emotion there, a mix of vulnerability and strength. And those glasses, slightly askew, give him a kind of quirky, human quality. Thinking about other artists, someone like Sally Mann comes to mind, someone who uses historical processes to capture something timeless about the human experience. Ultimately, this photograph is about seeing, feeling, and connecting with another person across time and space.