ra vers ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁ ▁Lev it sky ' s ▁portrait ▁of ▁Alexander ▁III ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁Russian ▁rub le ▁bank ▁note . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁Lev it sky ▁Studio ' s ▁last ing ▁importance ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁their ▁ability ▁to ▁understand ▁and ▁explo it ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁art ▁and ▁phot ography ; ▁understanding ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁possible ▁that ▁a ▁photograph er ▁using ▁a ▁mechanical ▁device ▁that ▁creates ▁the ▁image , ▁could ▁imp ose ▁their ▁personal ▁spirit ▁into ▁the ▁finished ▁photograph . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁Studio ▁believed ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁simply ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁taking ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁photograph s ▁of ▁the ▁who ' s ▁who ▁of ▁European ▁and ▁North ▁American ▁society ▁but ▁an ▁art istic ▁endeav our ▁and ▁purs uit ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁the ▁s itter ▁and ▁relay ▁this ▁through ▁the ▁phot ographic ▁image ▁captured . ▁▁▁▁ ▁Raf ail ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁understand , ▁apply ▁and ▁build ▁upon ▁the ▁scientific ▁phot ographic ▁adv anc ements ▁developed ▁by ▁his ▁father ▁would ▁begin ▁to ▁establish ▁Raf ail ' s ▁phot ography ▁as ▁a ▁worthy ▁form ▁of ▁art istic ▁expression ; ▁ ▁no ▁less ▁effective ▁than ▁a ▁painting ▁or ▁a ▁sculpt ure . ▁ ▁His ▁achiev ements ▁preced ed ▁famous ▁artists ▁as ▁photograph ers ▁such ▁as ▁Ed gar ▁D eg as ▁who ▁began ▁taking ▁photograph s ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁and ▁Man ▁Ray ▁who ▁would ▁not ▁produce ▁his ▁first ▁significant ▁photograph s ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁