Stromende rivier door een ravijn van het Noorse berglandschap 1909

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler created this photographic print of a Norwegian mountain landscape; it's a scene that's both expansive and intimate. I wonder what it was like for Kessler to find this vantage point. What was he thinking as he set up his camera, adjusting the focus to capture the immensity of the ravine? The limited tonal range, sepia, gives everything a warm, aged glow, like a memory burnished by time. He captured the geological drama with the winding river at the base of the composition, reflecting the sky. The stereoscopic format offers a sort of time travel, allowing us to feel like we're almost there with him. We are all influenced by the work of those who came before and the knowledge that we pass this inspiration on to those who come after. Kessler reminds us of the importance of looking—of really seeing—the world around us.