Black and White Sunday

The Master of Black and White Photography

Big Sur 1980

Ansel Adams

(Feb.20 1902-April 22 1984)
American Photographer.

He trained as a musician and supported himself by teaching the piano until 1930. He became involved with photography 1916 when his parents presented him with a Kodak Box Brownie camera during a summer vacation to Yosemite National Park. In 1917-18 he worked part-time in a photo finishing business. From 1920-27 he served as a custodian of LaConte Memorial in Yosemite the Sierra Club's headquarters. His duties included weekly expeditions thru the valley and rims during which he continued to photograph the landscapes. He considered his snapshots of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, taken during the early twenties to be a visual diary, the work of an ardent hobbyist. In 1923 he used a Korona 6 1/2 * 8 1/2" view finder camera on his pack trips and in 1927 he spend the afternoon making one of his most famous images Monotith, the Face of Half Dome, Yosemite Natonal Park, Adams planned his photography, waited for the exact sunlight he desired and used a red filter to darken the sky against the monumental cliff. He later refered to his image as his first visualization of the subject, not as it appeared in reality but how it felt to me and how it must appear in the finished print.



Monolith, the face of half dome

Teton And the Snake River

Cathedral Peak and Lake 1938

Dogwood Blossoms 1938

Farm workers in Manzanar War Relocation Center. Mt. Williamson in the background. Manzanar is well known for being one of the 10 site where over 110,000 Japanese American were imprisoned during WWII.

Sierra Nevada Winter Evening

Jeffery Pine Sentinel Dome

Orchard Early Morning

El Capitan Merced River, Clouds

White Branches Mono Lake

Moon and Half Dome

In 1968 Ansel Adams was awarded the Conservation Service Award, the Interior Dept. highest civilian honor " in recognition of your many years of distinguished work as a photographer, artist, interpreter and conservationist, a role in which your efforts have been of profound importance in the conservation of our great natural resources."

Adams was often criticized for not including humans in his photographs and for representing an idealizing wilderness that no longer exists. However, it is in large part thanks to Adams that these pristine areas have been protected for years to come.

Why was Ansel Adams revered by Americans like no other artist or conservationist has been? William Turnage explains " More than any other influential American of his epoch Adams believed both in the possibilities and the probability of humankind living in harmony and balance with it's environment.

For more on his biography click HERE

Art Encyclopedia from Answers.com

http://www.anseladams.com/

www.sierraclub.org/history/anseladams/

Hope you enjoyed reading about a man I've admired for as long as I can remember. Please take the time to visit your parks and nature preserves or even just taking a walk in the woods and explore the wonder that is out there.

Oh and don't forget to bring your camera........so we can all see what you discover too.

We don't all need to be an "Ansel Adams" to inspire each other.

Have a

Happy Black and White Sunday

hosted by Anne Marie (who always inspires me)

from Na Da Farm Life

Thanks for coming by and feel free to leave a comment!

I'd love to here from you.

Carole