Poort van een tempel in Shiba, Tokyo, Japan before 1903

This albumen print of a temple gate in Shiba, Tokyo, was made by Kusakabe Kimbei sometime in the late 19th century. Look at the soft, hazy atmosphere, the muted colors. I wonder if Kimbei felt like he was painting with light? Photography at this time wasn't just pointing and shooting; it was about crafting an image, building up layers, almost like glazing in oil painting. Think about the stillness he captured. I imagine him carefully arranging the composition, waiting for the light to be just right. It's almost as if he were setting the stage, inviting us into a serene, meditative space. And those figures standing by the gate – they're not just people, they're part of the story. They give scale, but also a sense of human presence within this grand architectural landscape. You can see how he’s thinking about the traditions of painting, but using the camera to reimagine them. It makes me think about how all artists are magpies, borrowing and transforming ideas across time and media!