Ansel Adams

•Artist: Ansel Adams

•Title:El Capitan

•Media: Black and White Photography

•Dimensions: 8”x10”

•Date: 1952

  Ansel Adams (February 20, 1902 - April 22, 1984) Photographer, conservationist, born in San Fransisco. A commercial photographer for 30 years, he made visionary photos of western landscapes that were inspired by a boyhood trip to Yosemite. He won three Guggenheim grants to photograph the national parks (1944-58). . Founding the f/64 group with Edward Weston in 1932, he developed zone exposure to get maximum tonal range from black-and-white film. (http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/adams.html)

 • Statement: "It is difficult to explain the magic: to lie in a small recess of the granite matrix of the Sierra and watch the progress of dusk to night, the incredible brilliance of the stars, the waning of the glittering sky into dawn, and the following sunrise on the peaks and domes around me. And always the cool dawn wind that I believe to be the prime benediction of the Sierra. These qualities to which I still deeply respond were distilled into my pictures over the decades. I knew my destiny when I first experienced Yosemite." – Ansel Adams                            ( http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/ansel.shtml  )                                                                 

• Background Information on the art: Ansel Adams made this image around 1952 with an 8" x 10" view camera. El Capitan is the largest exposed granite face in the world, drawing climbers from around the globe. Thanks to Adams' work, it's also a magnet for photographers and this image has long been a favorite of the Adams family. (http://shop.anseladams.com/El_Capitan_p/5010107-u.htm)

• Theme Connection: A visit to Yosemite is the ultimate example of the “Great Outdoors.” Thanks to Ansel Adams we are able to enjoy one of the most beautiful outdoor places on the planet. I chose this work because of my love of black and white photography and nobody did it better than Ansel Adams.