Emile Zola 

This photograph of Émile Zola was captured by Félix Nadar, using the wet collodion process. It was a relatively new medium at the time. Think about it: this wasn't as simple as pointing a camera and pressing a button. The photographer had to be a chemist, immediately preparing, exposing, and developing the glass plate before it dried. The final print, made from the glass negative, has a directness and a remarkable tonal range. Photography was quickly democratizing portraiture, making images available to a broader public than ever before. This new technology empowered the rising middle class, and Nadar was at the forefront, photographing everyone from artists to writers to scientists. Photography occupies an interesting place, somewhere between craft and industrial production. It's a perfect reminder that the most seemingly straightforward image is always the result of a complex, skillful, and meaningful process.