Ode to Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams is a legend. His explorations, both in photography and in wilderness, as well as his environmental work have informed all who came after. Wouldn’t it be something to have that kind of impact over time? Of course, you probably wouldn’t know it – because you’d be gone, but that’s beside the point.
I know for sure he influenced how I see light, how I consider composition… the tones I aim for in my black and white work… and my love of photographing the outdoors.
Recently, I was searching for quotes to go with a project I’m working on. In the process, I kept running across these really great ones from Ansel Adams. They didn’t work for the project – but I saved them anyway. I thought I’d share a crop of my fave “thoughts du Ansel”. You’ll notice I put a photo with each one – NOT because I’m comparing myself to the Master, nor imagining that I’m “all that”.
It’s just that each of these are things that I do my my best to keep in mind, that actually inform my choices, that drive my own growth, that I have to remind myself of often, that make me smile or that I just think are cool. I imagine some variation of each of these in every image I create… and certainly did my best to do so in the ones I’m sharing here.
“Photography, as a powerful medium…
offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.” – Ansel Adams
“The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image
often leads to creative disaster.” – Ansel Adams
“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” – Ansel Adams
“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer,
and often the supreme disappointment.” – Ansel Adams
“Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready
to have somebody click the shutter.” – Ansel Adams
“…one sees differently with color photography than black-and-white… in short, visualization must be modified by the specific nature of the equipment and materials being used.” – Ansel Adams
“The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score,
and the print the performance.” – Ansel Adams
“Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made
in establishing tonal relationships.” – Ansel Adams
“A true photograph need not be explained,
nor can it be contained in words.” – Ansel Adams
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.
When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams
