Le Moine 1860 - 1862

Edouard Baldus made this photograph, "Le Moine," using the collodion process, which was cutting edge at the time. This involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, then exposing it in the camera. The real labor in this image is not immediately visible. It lies in the extensive transportation networks that photography relied upon. Glass, chemicals, and the heavy camera itself had to be shipped to the site; the resultant negative carefully packaged and sent back to the lab. Baldus was a master of this process, and he used it to great effect here, capturing the rugged texture and dramatic form of the rock formation. The tones range from bright highlights to deep shadows, creating a sense of depth and volume. Note how the wet collodion and the lens render a clarity of detail across the landscape. By considering these material processes, we can fully understand the cultural and social significance of photography, and the intense labor involved in the production of these artworks.