Cathedral Towers 1861

Carleton Watkins made this photograph, "Cathedral Towers," using a wet plate process. The sepia tones and soft focus give the image a dreamy, almost ethereal quality. The composition is structured by the strong verticals of the trees, contrasting with the rounded forms of the distant rock formations. Watkins masterfully uses light and shadow to create depth. Notice how the dense forest in the foreground gradually fades into the lighter, almost ghostly, spires in the background. This photographic technique, with its play on contrasting forms, invites us to consider the sublime. This isn’t just a picture of nature; it’s a careful construction that mediates between raw landscape and human perception. The photograph invites us to reflect on how we perceive and categorize the natural world. In its aesthetic treatment, Watkins' choice to frame and light the composition underscores a philosophical tension between wilderness and representation, an ambiguity that continues to provoke contemplation.