Daguerreotype Skills Of J. P. Ball
The daguerreotype to the right is one example of J. P. Ball’s daguerreotype skills. Here sits a man and it is clear there is an ability to capture a person’s character and beautiful composition. Created between 1847 and 1860, Ball displays the ability to pose this subject incredibly well, bringing the man to life and giving him character. The man appears as if he would be a wealthy, high society figure and Ball captures a softness in the face with almost a twitch of a smile. The pose is more relaxed and not extremely stiff, compared to a lot of daguerreotypes of the time. The strong contrast between a light face and the dark background brings the viewer into the man’s eyes hooded under dark eyebrows. Ball also uses the idea of triangles with