Moonlight 19th-20th century

"Moonlight" is a photograph by Martha Hale Harvey. Consider the labor involved in creating a photograph like this in the late 19th, early 20th century. From mixing the chemicals to preparing the photographic plates, to the lengthy exposure time, photography was once a laborious, hands-on process. The sepia tone infuses the scene with a sense of nostalgia, and a warmth at odds with the coldness of the frozen river. The tones and textures evoke a sense of place, but beyond the aesthetic, there is also the work, physical and intellectual, that went into creating it. Harvey wasn't just pointing and shooting; she was crafting an image. Thinking about photography as a craft helps us move beyond traditional notions of art. It invites us to appreciate the skill, the labor, and the material processes that contribute to the final image.