[Yosemite National Park, California] 1876 - 1880

This is a circular albumen print of Yosemite National Park, made by Carleton Watkins. The composition immediately strikes us with its circular form, a gentle framing that contains the vast landscape. Watkins uses the tonal range of the albumen print to create depth, from the dark, textured foreground to the soft, ethereal mountains in the distance. Notice how the reflections in the Merced River mirror the towering rock formations, creating a play between the real and the reflected. The circular format serves to abstract the scene, turning the landscape into a contained, almost dreamlike vision. This is not just a representation of space; it's an exploration of form. The photograph's structure invites us to consider how perspective and framing can shape our understanding of nature. It highlights the materiality of the photographic process itself, using the chemical properties of light and silver to transform the wilderness into a work of art.