Lake George c. 1931

Alfred Stieglitz shot this gelatin silver print of Lake George and its surrounding landscape. Look at how Stieglitz has captured the textures of the trees and foliage, it feels so close I can almost smell the pine! I find myself wondering what it felt like to stand where he did, and what was going through his head as he framed the shot. Was he thinking about earlier landscape artists like Cezanne? Or was he just present in the moment, capturing the feeling of being in nature? The darkroom is such a magical, alchemical space: a world of subtle greys, and blacks, where light and shadow dance together to create this mood. Stieglitz transformed this view into something lasting that speaks to the beauty and stillness of nature. Artists like Stieglitz are in conversation with each other, building upon and responding to what came before. Photography offered a new way of seeing, and artists continue to push the boundaries of what's possible.