Straat in Ikaho, Japan before 1903

This photograph, 'Straat in Ikaho, Japan', was taken by Kusakabe Kimbei sometime in the late 19th century. It’s sepia-toned, kind of like a memory fading into the past, and the street scene climbs upwards in a zig-zagging series of stone steps. I wonder what Kimbei was thinking as he composed this shot. What a challenge it must have been to capture the depth of the street, the buildings stacked on top of each other, and the figures posed on the stairs. His lens becomes a kind of time machine, allowing us to glimpse a moment in history, a place and a way of life that is both familiar and foreign. I am struck by the way he captured the light. It’s soft and diffused, creating a dreamy, almost ethereal quality. Photography, like painting, is about capturing light, and in this image, Kimbei has managed to create a mood that is both serene and evocative. It reminds me that as artists we are all, in a way, translators of the world around us, interpreting and sharing our vision with others.