Waterval before 1902

This is "Waterval," a black and white photograph by Rudolf Ganz, appearing within a photography journal. Consider the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when photography was evolving from a scientific tool to an art form. Ganz was working in a period where the representation of nature was tied to notions of progress and exploration. This image of a waterfall then, captures a wild, untamed landscape. But it’s not just about the landscape; it’s about control and the gaze of the photographer. Think about the act of framing nature, of choosing a perspective. What does it mean to capture a waterfall, reducing it to a still image, especially when the Romantics regarded it as an sublime symbol? The photograph invites us to think about our relationship with the environment, how we perceive, document, and ultimately, shape it through our artistic and technological endeavors.