| It was Ferdinand Hayden's 1871 expedition to Yellowstone which brought William Henry Jackson to the forefront of American photography. Jackson served as the expedition's photographer, and Hayden couldn't have been more pleased with the results. Photography was no easy task in the 1800s, and it was vastly more difficult when it was done in a wilderness setting. The heavy camera, tripod, glass plates, bottles of chemicals, development box, and assorted photographic equipment had to be carried first by horse or mule and then on men's back. Once the camera was set up, snapping the picture was just the beginning. This is how Jackson described taking the above photo of Mammoth Hot Springs:
"The subject matter [Mammoth Hot Springs] close at hand was so rich and abundant that it was necessary to move my dark box only three or four times. My invariable practice was to keep it in the shade, then, after carefully focusing my camera, return to the box, sensitize a plate, hurry back to the camera while it was still moist, slip the plate into position, and make the exposure. Next step was return to the dark box and immediately develop the plate."
--William Henry Jackson in Time Exposure
|
