Gezicht op de O'Sullivan's waterval before 1867

This albumen print by John Hudson captures the O'Sullivan's Cascade. Notice how the composition is structured around contrasts. The dark, textured foliage of the forest frames the smooth, almost ethereal, cascade of water. Hudson uses this interplay of light and shadow to direct our gaze, creating a visual pathway that leads us from the solid, earthly elements to the fluid, dynamic heart of the waterfall. This photograph also plays with semiotic codes, with the waterfall as a signifier of both the sublime and the transient. In its visual structure, Hudson seems to engage with broader themes of Romanticism, where nature is not merely depicted but serves as a canvas for exploring human emotions. The careful balance between detail and suggestion invites us to contemplate the relationships between representation and reality. The deliberate use of albumen gives the scene a soft, diffused quality. This not only enhances the romantic mood, but also reminds us that photography, even in its earliest forms, is a medium capable of transforming how we perceive the world around us.