[Expedition Camp, Petra] 1852

Leavitt Hunt captured "Expedition Camp, Petra" with a camera, using the chemical processes available at the time. The photograph presents a stark contrast between the rigid geometry of the expedition's tents and the rugged, organic forms of the surrounding landscape. The composition is divided into two distinct zones: below, the human-made structures of the camp, and above, the monumental rock formations of Petra. The image destabilizes the conventional understanding of landscape photography as purely representational, engaging with the power dynamics inherent in exploration and documentation. It makes one consider the expedition's positionality in the landscape, and how acts of surveying and photographing transform a place into an object of knowledge and control. Through the interplay of light and shadow, Hunt's work doesn't just capture a scene; it also asks questions about the relationship between those who travel and the places they encounter.