Friday 22nd August 2014
Often when we zoom in on an artist to learn more about their career and their accomplishments, we tend to focus on the up and comers. This week, however, we're going to take a look at a truly accomplished photographer who has inspired entire generations of photographers: Ansel Adams. While known and revered among photographers the world over, Adams is not always known to those outside of the photography sphere - at least, not by name, although many would recognize some of his most iconic images of the American landscape.
Definitely known as a landscape photographer first and foremost, Adams travelled around America in the mid-1900s with a station wagon and a large format camera, which he'd often mount on the roof of his car to get the perfect shot. It sounds like a photographer's dream, really. He brought the beauty of the American wilderness to the people, even if they didn't know who had taken the picture.
Adams wasn't just a consummate landscape photographer, although that he certainly was. He was also extremely talented in the darkroom, which in those heady days before digital photography, could often make or break a photograph. Along with fellow photographer Fred Archer, he developed a system of image retouching still used today (albeit in digital form) known as the Zone system, which is entirely dedicated to ensuring that an image has the optimal contrast ratios and exposures. An early proponent of dodging and burning (lightening and darkening sections of an image in the darkroom, respectively), his proficiency helped push his images from beautiful to downright stunning, with a depth and clarity that was rarely matched by and photographer of the day.
Considering that he worked exclusively in black and white, his works had an incredible impact, and not only inspired a generation of photographers but also a generation of environmentalists, who saw the beautiful spaces of America and felt moved to act to protect their wild beauty. If every artist and photographer could have such a powerful impact on so many people, the world would be a much, much better place. Art is a powerful thing, and should never be underestimated in its ability to inspire and change the world. Ansel Adams passed away in 1984, but his dedication and vision will live on forever in his work and his passion for protecting the planet we all find so beautiful.
Posted on August 22nd 2014 on 12:56pm
