Pagina 25 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph, "Pagina 25 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.)" was taken by J.W. Meyster. The sepia tones lend a somber mood to the image of a building and small figures. I wonder about Meyster. What was it like to be him, setting up his camera, thinking about composition, and the light available? Did he feel he was creating art or documenting something? Photography is a really different way of making an image compared to painting. The photographic image is made through the lens of the camera in a moment, while painting involves time and conscious layering. I think that it's impossible for any picture to be completely objective; all image-making is a form of expression and involves the subjectivity of the artist to some degree. The history of art is an ongoing exchange between artists of different eras and the way they chose to see the world.