Tropical Scenery, Tropical Forest 1871

This is John Moran's 'Tropical Scenery, Tropical Forest', a photograph. Though it appears straightforward, photography involves intricate material processes and labor. Consider the collodion process likely used here, requiring careful preparation and coating of glass plates with chemicals. This was followed by precise timing in the camera and darkroom, a far cry from today's point-and-shoot. Moran, as a landscape photographer, engages with materiality, and the social context of resource extraction and land use. The tonal range, from the darks of the undergrowth to the highlights on the leaves, is only made possible by Moran's skillful manipulation of the medium. This manipulation is what gives the photograph its aesthetic value. By appreciating the labor and skill invested, we recognize photography as a form of making, blurring the lines between documentation, artistic interpretation, and craft.