Tuan Tran, Angola, Louisiana 24 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this photograph "Tuan Tran, Angola, Louisiana" using the wet plate collodion process, a 19th-century technique. Imagine her in the field, setting up her equipment, mixing chemicals right there and then. It's not just pointing and shooting; it's about chemistry and light, time and patience. The result isn't just a picture, but a collaboration between artist, subject, and process. I find that a beautiful thing. There's a stillness and an openness in Tuan Tran's pose, arms folded, hat shading his eyes, standing in that field, and I'm struck by how vulnerable and strong he appears. It's a photograph that feels less about documentation and more about connection. Luster, like many photographers, looks back to the past while simultaneously finding something fresh, new, raw, and very much present. And that conversation—between then and now, artist and subject, image and viewer—that's where the magic happens, right?