In Memory of Ansel

ehughesehughes Registered Users Posts: 1,675 Major grins
edited March 2, 2005 in Wildlife
Ansel Adams' images have always amazed me, some say he is over rated as a photographer, some say he was one of the best ever. My view is somewhere in the middle. What are your thoughts?

But if nothing else, when shooting in Yosemite his images are always in the back of my mind.

Ed

16688315-M.jpg

16688308-L.jpg

16687992-L.jpg

Comments

  • 4labs4labs Registered Users Posts: 2,089 Major grins
    edited February 28, 2005
    Ed these are a great tribute.. I have always apreciated him but to be honest when I see what some of you guys on this site have produced I am thinking he wasn't so great..
  • fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited February 28, 2005
    Nice. thanks ed.
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
  • AngeloAngelo Super Moderators Posts: 8,937 moderator
    edited February 28, 2005
  • CosmicCosmic Registered Users Posts: 219 Major grins
    edited February 28, 2005
    Wow! clap.gif

    ish speechless for once

    ~Heidi~
    Lead me not into Temptation. I can find the way myself....


  • NirNir Registered Users Posts: 1,400 Major grins
    edited March 1, 2005
    Beautiful shots Ed!


    I think to stay in correct perspective Adams' work should be judged in the correct timeframe. I mean what kind of equipment did he use compared to what's available today?!
    __________________

    Nir Alon

    images of my thoughts
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited March 1, 2005
    Ed, that waterfall shot is terrific. Nice work!
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • Michael AllenMichael Allen Registered Users Posts: 196 Major grins
    edited March 1, 2005
    Nice work, nice tribute. thumb.gif
    -Mike
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited March 1, 2005
    Fitting tribute Ed ^5
    It's funny you should ask what we think of Ansel. Andy brought a book with lots of his photos in it, last time he visited. He lent it to me and I have to admit, while many of the images were awesome (especially the processing), many others were similar to what people post here. Very good, but nothing amazing. But, every shot I viewed was exposed extremely well and processed darn near perfectly. To me, it seemed like he spent most of his time visualizing the shot and in the darkroom. It almost seems like the time spent on the actual shot was minimal.

    Which does make sense. If you see, in your mind's eye, the shot you are after, it makes it so much easier to be able to capture it. Then during processing, you can really make that image look like your vision.

    This seems like an awful lot of work....lol Especially, when compared to my method of walking around clueless and pointing-and-shooting? :lol


    OK, now stop posting these Yosemite pics Ed. You're going to make us all feel terrible when we don't come home, from our May visit, with results like yours rolleyes1.gif

    J/K and thanks for sharing these gorgeous pics with us,
    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • ehughesehughes Registered Users Posts: 1,675 Major grins
    edited March 1, 2005
    Thanks Everyone for the comments.

    I think at the time Ansel was working around Yosemite, considering the equipment that he had. I believe you had to visualize the shot ahead of time. I remember reading something Ansel wrote about hiking up to the base of upper Yosemite falls, he basically took enough equipment and film for 8 to 10 shots. That's all he had to get what he wanted to try and capture that day. Then walk back down the mountain and head to the darkroom to see if he got what he wanted.

    Ansel was also a photographer that was more than willing to change an image to what he would have liked to have seen instead of what he actually photographed that day. I think the most famous of his edited shots was "Winter Sunrise from Lone Pine" in the left side of the shot there should be a fairly large LP in the hill made of stones put there by the residents. If you look at a large version of this print you can actually see where the negative or the master print had been painted. So, he was doing quite a bit of post processing of his photographs. In my opinion, that is no different than running your pic through photoshop to get the desired effect.

    Does anyone know of other photographers, doing either fine art or landscape work do this kind of post processing to fit the image to their taste?

    Ed


    It's funny you should ask what we think of Ansel. Andy brought a book with lots of his photos in it, last time he visited. He lent it to me and I have to admit, while many of the images were awesome (especially the processing), many others were similar to what people post here. Very good, but nothing amazing. But, every shot I viewed was exposed extremely well and processed darn near perfectly. To me, it seemed like he spent most of his time visualizing the shot and in the darkroom. It almost seems like the time spent on the actual shot was minimal.

    Which does make sense. If you see, in your mind's eye, the shot you are after, it makes it so much easier to be able to capture it. Then during processing, you can really make that image look like your vision.

    This seems like an awful lot of work....lol Especially, when compared to my method of walking around clueless and pointing-and-shooting? :lol


    OK, now stop posting these Yosemite pics Ed. You're going to make us all feel terrible when we don't come home, from our May visit, with results like yours rolleyes1.gif

    J/K and thanks for sharing these gorgeous pics with us,
    Steve
  • tmlphototmlphoto Registered Users Posts: 1,444 Major grins
    edited March 1, 2005
    The waterfall is great. The lighting is dramatic and the exposure spot on. The tree limbs really add to the shot as well. Very well done. BTW I'm a real fan of Ansel Adams as well. I'm a sucker for contrasty B&W though.
    Thomas :D

    TML Photography
    tmlphoto.com
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,949 moderator
    edited March 2, 2005
    Ansel Adams is like John Muir in a sense.

    Just as Muir brought nature to the people by raising awareness, Adams'
    work helped bring photography to the level of fine art. There are others
    whose work should be considered as well. Like Edward Weston and Imogen
    Cunningham.

    To me, Ansel Adams work is more than what's found in most many conference
    rooms. Aside from the those images, he spent a great deal of time perfecting
    each image. Both in the camera and in "post".

    As always, it is easier to follow than to lead and I think he was a leader in
    his time.

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • Nee7x7Nee7x7 Registered Users Posts: 459 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2005
    Like...Wow!
    Your photos are awesome, Ed! The one of Yosemite Falls is esp. striking with the dead branches "reaching" toward the falls. I also love contrasty B & W and you've captured that look exceptionally well.

    Back in my college years (in the early 70's) I was very privileged to go on a field trip with my photography class to visit Ansel Adams home studio in Carmel before he passed away. The experience was awesome! If I recall correctly, the prints Ansel Adams made were direct contact prints from his very large format camera. It was pretty inspiring to go to the "source", so to speak, and see how he worked.

    But I will add that your photos are also quite inspiring! I've been to Yosemite more times than I can count, but I've yet to get the same quality of photos as yours posted here. Kudos to you for not only raising the bar that Ansel Adams set, but in some ways surpassing it!

    Cheers!
    ~Nee thumb.gif
    http://nee.smugmug.com[/COLOR]
    http://www.pbase.com/rdavis

    If at first you don't succeed, destroy all the evidence that you tried~
  • ehughesehughes Registered Users Posts: 1,675 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2005
    Nee, Thanks.. That's an incredible compliment..

    I have a friend here at work with a couple of autographed books from Ansel. I wish I had the chance to meet him.

    Nee7x7 wrote:
    Your photos are awesome, Ed! The one of Yosemite Falls is esp. striking with the dead branches "reaching" toward the falls. I also love contrasty B & W and you've captured that look exceptionally well.

    Back in my college years (in the early 70's) I was very privileged to go on a field trip with my photography class to visit Ansel Adams home studio in Carmel before he passed away. The experience was awesome! If I recall correctly, the prints Ansel Adams made were direct contact prints from his very large format camera. It was pretty inspiring to go to the "source", so to speak, and see how he worked.

    But I will add that your photos are also quite inspiring! I've been to Yosemite more times than I can count, but I've yet to get the same quality of photos as yours posted here. Kudos to you for not only raising the bar that Ansel Adams set, but in some ways surpassing it!

    Cheers!
    ~Nee thumb.gif
  • ehughesehughes Registered Users Posts: 1,675 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2005
    I agree Ian, he was a leader in his time without a doubt...
    I wonder what he could have done with equipment available today, I wonder if his work would have been different?

    ian408 wrote:
    Ansel Adams is like John Muir in a sense.

    Just as Muir brought nature to the people by raising awareness, Adams'
    work helped bring photography to the level of fine art. There are others
    whose work should be considered as well. Like Edward Weston and Imogen
    Cunningham.

    To me, Ansel Adams work is more than what's found in most many conference
    rooms. Aside from the those images, he spent a great deal of time perfecting
    each image. Both in the camera and in "post".

    As always, it is easier to follow than to lead and I think he was a leader in
    his time.

    Ian
Sign In or Register to comment.