Tomb of King Merneptah, Thebes, Egypt. From a series on ancient Egypt for ‘Life’

Brake used a technique called 'painting with light' in many of his Egyptian images. This involved working in darkness. First, he opened the camera shutter for a long exposure. Then assistants would move about the scene, shining a light on one part after another. This made it easier to illuminate a large scene without using a large array of fixed lights. It was also necessary when photographing tomb interiors, where long exposure to powerful photographic lights risked damaging the delicate wall paintings. The technique needed considerable skill and experience, as the final effect could not be judged until the film was developed.