Fog and Frost 19th-20th century

William B. Post made this photograph, Fog and Frost, using a camera, lens, and photographic paper. Photography, though a product of technology, shares much with more established fine arts. Like painting, it involves composing a picture. But unlike painting, photography captures the real world through a chemical process. This one is particularly subtle. Notice how the tones range from light to dark, creating depth and mood. It also is quite sharp, and reveals the crisp detail of the winter grass and foliage. In Post’s time, photography was still gaining acceptance as an art form. Practitioners like him often sought to emulate painting. They embraced the idea of the artist as a sensitive observer of nature. Understanding the techniques and artistry involved in photography helps us appreciate the skill required to create such evocative images, and challenges our conventional ideas about what constitutes art.