The Landing Place c. 20th century

Karl Struss made this photograph, The Landing Place, at an unknown date. The whole image is suffused with warm sepia tones that recall the feeling of old memories. Look at how the light glances off the surface of the water. There's a soft gradation of tones rather than sharp contrast; it feels very gentle. The photographic process can sometimes feel quite scientific, but here Struss emphasizes the soft textures of the water, the leaves and the stone, creating a very tactile experience. This kind of approach reminds me of the way painters use glazes to build up subtle effects across the canvas. The balustrade on the right almost looks as though it has been painted with light. Struss was part of the Photo-Secession movement, led by Alfred Stieglitz, which very consciously aligned itself with the aims of pictorialist painting. I see in this a similar aspiration to capture a fleeting moment, an atmosphere, a mood, rather than to simply document something. And maybe that’s the job of art; to create a space for multiple interpretations.