Carleton Watkins is a master of landscape photography. He roamed the vigin lands of America in the late 19th century. But it is his Yosemite pictures that brought him worldwide acclaim.

Watkins extensively photographed early San Francisco, Yosemite, Mendocino, New Almaden and the Sierra Nevada mining regions. He also made some of the earliest photographs of Southern California and the Pacific Nortwest.

They were indeed groundbreaking technically and artistically. He was arguably the most artistic American landscape photographer in 1868.

“In 1868, Watkins was awarded a medal for landscape photography at the Paris International Exposition. In 1873 he received the Medal of Progress award at the Vienna Exposition, and in 1876 he exhibited his pictures at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and at the Chilean Exposition.

He associated with California’s intellectual and artistic elite. But Watkins’ life was not a completely charmed one. His images were pirated, and his lack of business acumen resulted in bankruptcy. He became ill and disabled and spent the last years of his life in an insane asylum.”

Now to be able to look at his photos in 3D, move a little back from your normal viewing distance and just put your index finger in line with the line between the two pictures and about halfway between your eyes and the pictures.

Then try to focus on your finger. If you’re lucky, three images will appear and the center one will be in 3D. Don’t get discouraged if this doesn’t work; few people are able to do it easily.

Most of his work can be found here or here or even here… so enjoy!