Under the Pines c. 20th century

Will A. Cadby made this silver print called 'Under the Pines', sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. Look at how the light filters through the trees, kind of hazy, right? I bet he was out there in the woods, lugging his camera gear, trying to capture that exact mood. The tones are soft, almost like a dream. You can almost smell the pine needles and damp earth, can't you? I wonder what he was thinking about while he was making it? Was he trying to capture the grandeur of nature, or maybe something more intimate? Was he alone, or with someone? As a painter, I find myself trying to answer those questions, and that becomes its own dialogue. The way the light catches on the bark of those trees is pretty special. He's not just showing us what a forest looks like, he's inviting us to feel what it's like to be there. Photography and painting, we’re all just trying to figure out how to see.