In many of his most theatrical seascapes, Le Gray printed two negatives on a single sheet of paper--one exposed for the sea, the other for the sky, sometimes made on … Le Gray solved this problem by printing two negatives on a single sheet of paper: one exposed for the sea, the other for the sky, and sometimes made on separate occasions or in different locations. However, the dynamic range of his seascapes was more than a single shot would be able to capture. Gustave Le Gray: Sea and Sky Photography - Victoria and Albert Museum. He wanted to have detail in the sea and detail in the sky. 1857. High-dynamic-range imaging (HDRI) ... using several exposures to adequately reproduce a too-extreme range of luminance was pioneered as early as the 1850s by Gustave Le Gray to render seascapes showing both the sky and the sea. Active scenes in nature, such as a moving boat and waves breaking on the rocks, had never been photographed before, but Gustave Le Gray was an indomitable innovator whose technical improvements to the medium shortened his exposure times. From Sotheby's, Gustave Le Gray, Ciel Chargé - Mer Méditerranée (Cloudy Sky, Mediterranean Sea) (1857), Albumen print, 32.4 × 41.6 cm This enabled Le Gray to balance two different exposure levels. Gustave Le Gray. This scene is identifiable as the Mediterranean coast with Mount Agde, in the south of France, visible in the distance. He was an important contributor to the development of the wax paper negative. Albumen print, No. Gustave Le Gray (1820 - 1884) has been called "the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century" because of his technical innovations in the still new medium of photography, his role as the teacher of other noted photographers, and "the extraordinary imagination he brought to … Given photography's chemical limitations at that time, if he … In 1856, he made this picture of the seashore at Normandy, France and simply called it “Seascape.” In-text: (Vam.ac.uk, n.d.) V&A Innovative Leadership Programme. At a time when photographic emulsions were not equally sensitive to all colors of the spectrum, most photographers found it impossible to achieve proper exposure of both landscape and sky in a single picture. 1856-57 "Cloud Study, Light-Dark," Gustave Le Gray. Le Gray’s solution, sometimes called the patched-in-sky procedure, allowed for every square inch of the photograph to be perfectly exposed. Prof. Silverman is an art historian, critical theorist, and Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania. Two separate negatives (the sky and the sea) are joined at the horizon. 16 from the album Vistas del Mar Trained in Paris as an academic painter, Gustave Le Gray gained renown for his revolutionary process of photographing seascapes. This text was originally written to accompany the exhibition Sea and Sky: Photographs by Gustave Le Gray 1856-1857 on display at the V&A South Kensington between 8 May and 3 August 2003. In many of his most theatrical seascapes, Le Gray printed two negatives on a single sheet of paper--one exposed for the sea, the other for the sky, sometimes made on … Four … What he could not improve upon, however, was the simultaneous exposure of sea and sky. France. Such rendering was impossible at the time using standard methods, as the luminosity range was too extreme. One of the VERY FIRST HDR photos ever created. This was done by Photographer Mr. Gustave Le Gray. “Stopping Before Gustave Le Gray’s Sea and Sky” with Prof. Kaja Silverman. Trained in Paris as an academic painter, Gustave Le Gray gained renown for his revolutionary process of photographing seascapes. Gustave Le Gray French, 1820-1884 A master both technically and aesthetically, Gustave Le Gray (born in Villiers-le-Bel) was one of the most important figures in 19th-century French photography, bringing to the medium artistic integrity and visual imagination. But, Gustave Le Gray was among the handful of practitioners who put photography to good use. With the mountain as a reference point, it is possible to prove that Le Gray sometimes combined two separate negatives for sea and sky. Born near Paris, France in 1820, Le Gray became known for his photographs of landscapes and the sky. Cloudy Sky, Mediterranean Sea. This text was originally written to accompany the exhibition Sea and Sky: Photographs by Gustave Le Gray 1856-1857 on display at the V&A South Kensington between 8 May and 3 August 2003. Jean-Baptiste Gustave Le Gray (French: ; 30 August, 1820 – 30 July, 1884) has been called "the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century" because of his technical innovations, his instruction of other noted photographers, and "the extraordinary imagination he brought to picture making."