Fred Holland Day was one of the first American advocates for photography to be considered a fine art. In his work he experimented with symbolism and subjects of religion, and his portraiture alludes to classical antiquity in style, composition, and theme as was popular in the early 20th century. At first well known and respected, he was eventually eclipsed by Alfred Stieglitz, his rival, and after a house fire many of his negatives and original pieces were lost forever.
I'm really interested in how he was able to achieve such soft lighting in cyanotype, the haziness that evokes a dream-like feeling in his imagery. Also after having myself attempted to print portraits from digital negatives, I wonder how he was able to get such nice gradients in his pictures.
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| ca. 1900-1910, cyanotype, 6 1/8" x 8 1/8" |
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| Maine, ca. 1900-1912, cyanotype, 3 11/16" x 4 11/16" |
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Maynard White, Little Good Harbor, Maine, ca. 1912 , cyanotype, 7 7/8" x 7 1/4"
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