Gustave Le Gray

 


In the 1850s Gustave Le Gray was one of the most important figures. He was born in Paris as an only child. He played a vital role in the beginnings of photography. Le Gray was an incredibly accomplished man and he was very well known. Le Gray said “It is my deepest wish that photography, instead of falling within the domain of industry, of commerce, will be included among the arts. That is its sole, true place, and it is in that direction that I shall always endeavor to guide it.” I think that what he said was beautiful, and it leads me to think that if not for men like him photography may never have become a form of art.

Above is a photo by Gustave Le Gray. I really enjoy his work and have found that I also have a soft spot for black and white images. I find them so beautiful and refreshing. They force you to look at a landscape in a new way. We are surrounded by color every day in everything we do, and it is a big part of our lives. When you look at a landscape I feel the color can sometimes distract the mind, so when you take the color away you are forced to look deeper and find beauty in the element itself and not the color. What is so amazing about Le Gray's work is that he found a way to capture an image so that both the water and the sky were clear and in focus. What he did was create an exposure for the sky, then he created an exposure for the water. In doing this he was then able to combine the two exposures in the darkroom creating the perfect image. Even today with digital cameras it is hard to take a picture like this so I find it really amazing that at its beginnings he was able to produce these works. 


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