Larry Gregory, Transylvania, Louisiana 1999

Deborah Luster made this portrait of Larry Gregory in Transylvania, Louisiana, using the 19th-century process of tintype photography. This technique, which involves creating a direct positive on a metal plate, yields a distinctive look – a unique print with a slightly ethereal quality. Tintypes were popular due to their relative affordability and speed, making photography accessible to a wider range of people, regardless of their social class. Consider the labor involved: from preparing the chemicals to carefully coating and exposing the plate. Luster's choice of this antiquated method highlights the contrast between our contemporary world, with its instant digital images, and earlier times. The choice of this process, and the undeniable labor involved in tintype photography, invites us to think about the subject’s own life and labor, and the stories they tell.