The Art of photography

ThePrinciplesatWork:InPursuitofExcellence

Halifax,inthecoal-producingYorkshireregionof

northernEngland,looksasglossyandblack

asanthraciteinthepictureoppositeHigh-contrast

printingturnedthefactoryintoanIrregularshape

withoutdepth,andemphasizedthepatternof

thebrickroadway.Theroadleadstheeyeback

andupintothepicture,thenappearstopitchoffIn

space,as

ifchoppedbysomesuddenaxstroke.'

ArtistryadmitsnolimitsofageJacquesHenri

Lartlguetookthehappyphotographatright

in1904,whenhewaseightyearsoldAlthoughthe

balloonhas

justbeentossedupby

his

nanny,

itcouldberising,fallingorhoveringThepicture

Issoneatlybalancedthatthelatterseems

mostlikely

tobe

true,imparting

a

senseofairy

lightnessentirelyappropriatetothemood.

LartiguedidIndeedshootatthemomentthe

balloonreachedthe

peak

ofitsflight,foronlythen

woulditbemotionless

—

sostillitwouldnot

blurinthelongexposurehisslowfilmrequired

JACQUES

HENRILARTIGUENannyDudu

andBalloon. 1904