[Tree] 1856 - 1860

This photograph, simply titled "Tree", was made by Horatio Ross sometime in the mid-19th century, using the collodion process. This was a relatively new technology at the time, involving coating a glass plate with a light-sensitive chemical emulsion. The resulting image, with its sepia tones and soft focus, has an undeniably handmade quality, bearing the trace of Ross’s skilled manipulation. Unlike today’s instantaneous digital photography, collodion required patience and careful attention to detail. Each print was a unique object, imbued with the maker’s touch. The choice of subject matter is also significant. While photography was quickly embraced for portraiture and documentation, Ross's choice to focus on the natural world elevates photography to a form of artistic expression. He turns the lens towards the organic textures of the tree, inviting us to consider the inherent beauty found in the natural world, and the human labor required to capture it. This piece blurs the line between the mechanical and the artistic, inviting us to reconsider our relationship with both.