Ludwig Pietsch 1911

Nicola Perscheid made this photograph of Ludwig Pietsch sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, using I’m guessing a large format camera and glass plate negatives. I love the tonality in this piece. Look at how soft everything is, the way the light seems to envelop the subject. The gradations from light to dark are so subtle, it's like Perscheid is painting with light. It reminds me of the way some painters build up layers of glaze to create luminosity. There's a real artistry in his control of the photographic process. The area around the eyes is particularly striking. You can see every wrinkle, every little detail, but it’s not harsh. It’s like he’s capturing the essence of the man, not just his physical appearance. It has a similar feeling to the work of someone like Nadar, who also sought to capture the inner character of his subjects through photography. It reminds you that photography is just as much about interpretation as it is about documentation.