Jonge tortelduiven op een tak c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph of two young turtledoves on a branch sometime in his lifetime, using a camera and photographic paper. The sepia tones make me think of old postcards, all faded and dreamlike. The way Tepe captured the light, it’s like you can almost feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. The texture of the leaves and feathers, rendered in such detail, is incredible. Look closely at the dove on the right. See how each feather seems to catch the light differently, creating a subtle play of shadows and highlights? The gentle curve of the branch beneath them, the way their bodies seem to mirror each other...it feels so tender, so intimate. I'm reminded of other early photographers like Peter Henry Emerson, who were also interested in capturing the beauty of the natural world. It is about seeing and feeling and finding beauty in the everyday.