This is the second installment in my Antiquity Series, a project that uses 100-year-old technology to capture images that feel as though they’ve been pulled directly from the past. This photograph was taken with a 4x5 view camera, a straightforward yet precise device featuring a large bellows and focus controls on either end. The image is composed on a ground glass screen, appearing upside down until captured—a process requiring patience, skill, and the use of a focusing hood to block out extraneous light while composing the shot.
The composition of this image is a deliberate nod to the classic landscape photographers of the time, reflecting their dedication to balance, scale, and light. Framed to emphasize the grandeur of Cohoes Falls, it captures both the natural wonder and its surrounding elements in a way that evokes the awe those photographers sought to inspire.
The Falls
Cohoes Falls, the second-largest waterfall in New York State, spans roughly 1,000 feet across and rises up to 90 feet high. Situated on the Mohawk River, a vital waterway in northeastern New York, the falls straddle the city of Cohoes and the town of Waterford.
Known to the indigenous Mohawk as “Ga-ha-oose,” meaning “the place of the falling canoe,” the falls carry with them a legacy of legend and history. One tale speaks of a chief’s daughter who drifted over the edge while asleep in her canoe, her story forever tied to the cascading waters.
The first European settlers to encounter Cohoes Falls in the 17th century were captivated by its power and scale, long before Niagara Falls became widely accessible. To early Americans, the falls represented not only natural beauty but also industrial potential, shaping the development of the surrounding communities.
By using technology and techniques authentic to the period, this photograph honors the early photographers who sought to preserve such wonders for future generations reminiscent of what you would find in 100-year-old guidebook.
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