Writing About Art
A Handbook for Educators: Using the HMA collection as a resource in the instruction of writing, helping students to develop creative and critical thinking skills. This book is available as a PDF file and requires Acrobat Reader.
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLAN LANGUAGE ARTS |
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See Gallery: Dogwood for a close-up. In the exhibit, Classic Images, see Rose and Driftwood. Adams was not only a master photographer and an accomplished musician, he was an excellent writer as well. A creative person often is interested in and accomplished in many areas, not confined to narrow limits. Adams was raised on the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He enjoyed poetry, particulary of Whitman and followers like Edward Carpenter, as quoted in Adams' Autobiography from "After Civilization": In the first soft winds of spring, while snow yet lay on the
ground - Adams may be most well-known for his long-distance shots, but he was also fascinated with turning his camera to the details in nature. The creative photographers of the early twentieth century were known for close-up shots and Adams followed suit. He wrote poetically in his autobiography, "One can never assert the superiority...of torrents swollen by the floods of spring against the quiescent scintillations of an autumn stream." Walt Whitman Adams quoted an American poet who shared his view: "These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles, From "Miracles," by Walt Whitman ActivityConsider the photographs and the words of Ansel Adams, and the poetry of Walt Whitman and Carpenter in responding to the following: Choose a small object or fragment and write a poem or description of it in as much close detail as possible.
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLAN LANGUAGE ARTS |
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See Gallery: Dogwood for a close-up. In the exhibit, Classic Images, see Rose and Driftwood. Adams was not only a master photographer and an accomplished musician, he was an excellent writer as well. A creative person often is interested in and accomplished in many areas, not confined to narrow limits. Adams was raised on the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He enjoyed poetry, particulary of Whitman and followers like Edward Carpenter, as quoted in Adams' Autobiography from "After Civilization": In the first soft winds of spring, while snow yet lay on the
ground - Adams may be most well-known for his long-distance shots, but he was also fascinated with turning his camera to the details in nature. The creative photographers of the early twentieth century were known for close-up shots and Adams followed suit. He wrote poetically in his autobiography, "One can never assert the superiority...of torrents swollen by the floods of spring against the quiescent scintillations of an autumn stream." Walt Whitman Adams quoted an American poet who shared his view: "These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles, From "Miracles," by Walt Whitman ActivityConsider the photographs and the words of Ansel Adams, and the poetry of Walt Whitman and Carpenter in responding to the following: Choose a small object or fragment and write a poem or description of it in as much close detail as possible.
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Ansel Adams, America's Saint George of Conservation"
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Ansel Adams, America's Saint George of Conservation"
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Ansel Adams, America's Saint George of Conservation
by Peter Barr
November, 2000
Ansel Adams (1902 -151; 1984) is arguably one of the most beloved figures in the history of American photography.1 His work bears all of the stylistic qualities needed to guarantee its success: it appears plainspoken and straightforward, and presents the natural world in a crisp, realistic way. But Adams's straightforward photographic style masks his remarkably complicated motivations. His images and published thoughts reflect a complex blend of aesthetic idealism and radical political engagement that is often overlooked. Equal parts aesthete and social activist, Adams hoped that his sharp-focused black-and-white photographs would help persuade Americans to value creativity as well as to conserve and expand American freedoms and wilderness preserves.
Adams, who is celebrated by both elite academics and the general public alike, ended his formal education with grammar school. Since then he has been awarded six honorary degrees, including doctorates from Berkeley and Harvard. In 1979, his thirty-second book, entitled Yosemite and the Range of Light, sold more than 200,000 copies, becoming one of the best-selling photographic monographs ever. Two years later, his mural-sized print of Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico set an auction record for photography, fetching $71,500.00. By 1984, the year he died, his work had appeared in more than 500 exhibitions. Today, reproductions of his images can be found on address books, calendars, folios, screen savers, posters and in more than eighty publications, including his widely read autobiography and two recent biographies - all readily available on the internet.
Adams's fame is not new, but began in the early 1930s, shortly after he decided to commit himself professionally to the medium of photography. Trained first as a classical pianist, he dabbled in amateur photography for more than a decade before deciding to abandon a career in music for professional photography. This decision was motivated by pragmatic and idealistic considerations. On the one hand, in the 1920s, advertisers increasingly patronized photographers because they believed that photographs were more persuasive than hand-drawn illustrations.2 For most of his career, Adams was able to earn a relatively steady source of income from his commercial work. On the other hand, Adams was inspired by what he perceived to be the aesthetic potential of the medium. In 1926, Albert Bender, an art collector and owner of a small insurance agency in San Francisco, encouraged this idealism by financing Adams's early aesthetic work. Bender's generosity resulted both in Adams's first published book, Taos Pueblo, and in his first one-person exhibition, at the Sierra Club in San Francisco. This led to his 1930 meeting in New Mexico with the prominent New York photographer Paul Strand. Strand invited Adams to examine a set of his recent negatives, which convinced Adams of photography's potential as a medium of fine art.
Within five years of meeting Strand, Adams emerged as one of the most influential figures in the world of art photography. By the end of 1930, he was writing a photography column for the literary review Fortnightly. Two years later, Adams helped found the photography club Group f/64. He organized the group's landmark exhibition of ";pure"; photography at the M. H. de Young Museum, and authored their manifesto, which argued vehemently against the tradition of making art photographs look like impressionistic paintings or etchings. The following year he met Alfred Stieglitz, the legendary New York art dealer and ";pure"; photographer and opened The Ansel Adams Gallery for creative photography -150; with the idea of becoming the ";Alfred Stieglitz"; of San Francisco. Then, in 1935, he published the first of several instructional books on photography, which earned him a reputation as an effective teacher and exacting photographic technician.
As a teacher and technician, Adams is perhaps best known for testing Edwin Land's Polaroid film technology and for instructing aspiring artists on how to use his own Zone System of photography, which he developed while teaching at the Art Center School in Los Angeles in 1941. This system allows photographers to calculate and control the range of gray-scale tones in their negatives by using a light meter. The objective is to obtain a negative with silver densities corresponding to the photographer's preconception of the scene. For Adams, this usually meant a mesmerizing number of distinct shades of gray, black and white, as in his photograph, Aspens (1958). Further, he encouraged artists to manipulate their images' tones while developing and printing. Adams compared printmaking to a musical performance by likening the tonal values of a negative to the notes on a musical score. Like a musical performance, the print was then subject to variation and reinterpretation over time.3
Adams's technical accomplishments often overshadow the fact that he intended for his photographs to express his radical aesthetic and political ideals. His aesthetic ideals can be traced back through Paul Strand to Alfred Stieglitz. Adams, like Stieglitz, regularly preached a ";pure"; photographic aesthetic imbued with emotion; he claimed that his photographic prints represented what Stieglitz called ";equivalents"; of his feelings.4 Adams, too, claimed that art photographers created ";a statement that goes beyond the subject"; and captured ";an inspired moment on film."; 5 By way of contrast, he felt ordinary photographs were mere ";visual diaries"; or ";reminders of experience."; Adams elaborated on this idea near the end of his life, comparing his own (and his friend Edward Weston's) photographs to those of William Henry Jackson, who photographed the American West for the U.S. Government's Hayden Geological Survey in 1870:
Jackson, for all his devotion to the subject, was recording the scene. Weston, on the other hand, was actually creating something new-133;. Similarly, while the landscapes that I have photographed in Yosemite are recognized by most people and, of course the subject is an important part of the pictures, they are not ";realistic."; All my pictures are optically very accurate - I use pretty good lenses -150; but they are quite unrealistic in terms of [tonal] values. A more realistic, simple snapshot captures the image but misses everything else. I want a picture to reflect not only the forms, but [also] what I had seen and felt at the moment of exposure.6
While Adams espoused Stieglitz's emotional aesthetic, it would be a mistake to link their photographic outlooks too closely. Adams, after all, was nearly a half-century younger than Stieglitz and was deeply involved with the aesthetic and political trends of his own day. The most dominant aesthetic trend in photography between 1925 and 1950 is the emergence of the ";documentary"; mode of expression. This is a brand of often emotionally riveting photographic realism, which is perhaps best illustrated by Dorothea Lange's well-known Migrant Mother (1936). The popularity of the documentary mode of expression during the 1930s and 1940s reflects, to a certain extent, the cynical public's desire for direct, straightforward communication in the wake of the mid-1930s Dust Bowl and the unsettling stock market crash of 1929. It can also be seen to record and celebrate the New Deal social programs, which were designed by Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration to help alleviate the most troubling conditions of the Great Depression.
It is noteworthy that Paul Strand was one of the early practitioners of the documentary mode. Strand studied photography under the tutelage of Lewis Hine, the well-known sociologist-turned-photographer. Hine's work for the National Child Labor Committee helped convince Congress to eradicate child labor in the United States. In 1930, when Strand first met Adams, he was actively following Hine's lead, travelling through Mexico making monumentalizing portraits of ordinary citizens he found on the streets. Projects like these, combined with Strand's outspoken advocacy of America's continued friendship with the socialist block countries, brought Strand to the attention of anti-Communist Republicans in the U.S. Congress. Fearing that he might loose his right to travel abroad, Strand entered into self-exile in France, in 1950. Adams, who wisely chose to keep his political views to himself during this time, nonetheless continued to cite Strand as a significant influence on his work. In the waning years of his life, however, Adams became increasingly outspoken about his political views. In 1983, he told an interviewer:
I think there may be a revolution if there is not greater equality given to all citizens. We have consistently considered the employer, especially the large corporations, as the most valuable part of the American society. We have consistently overlooked the enormous importance of the farmer, the technician, the educator, the artist, [and] the laborer. I'm not calling for a revolution; I'm calling for greater equality to all citizens. If that doesn't happen, something will.7
During the heyday of the documentary mode of photography, while other Americans were training their cameras on the disenfranchised and the middle class, Adams was accused of photographing nothing but trees, rocks and bushes. Yet it was during the early 1940s that Adams helped the Museum of Modern Art organize a juried exhibition of photographs called Images of Freedom that ";look[ed] at the people -150; our friends, our families, ourselves-133;. [It asked] what are our resources and our potential strength?";8 One photograph from this exhibition, Mrs. Gunn on Porch, Independence, California, 1944, suggests the kind of dignified image of the middle class that he must have had in mind. Similarly, two years later he traveled to Owens Valley, California, to photograph the Japanese-Americans who had been forcibly relocated there following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The resulting exhibition and book entitled Born Free and Equal celebrated the prisoners that he met there and condemned the injustice of the camp. The book's photographs affirm the individuality, dignity, work ethic, and Americanness of the internees while his accompanying texts describe the horrible conditions in the camps and plea passionately for other Americans to correct such civil rights violations. Adams's decision to express his condemnation of the relocation camps in words rather than images reflects his unwavering belief that the visual arts must never condemn life, only build it up and celebrate it. Quoting Stieglitz, Adams often said, ";Art is the affirmation of life."; 9
Adams used a similar strategy of combining life-affirming photographs and critical prose in his efforts to preserve America's wilderness reserves, especially in and around Yosemite Valley. In 1934, he joined the Board of Directors of the Sierra Club and began lobbying Congress to stop logging and mining in the King's River Canyon, near Yosemite. By 1938, when he published his first book of landscape photographs, Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, he sent copies to President Roosevelt and Interior Secretary Harold Ickes. The photographs in the book, he recalled, ";helped swing the opinion in our favor."; 10 In 1940, with the President's help, the canyon became a national park.
It is important to note, however, that Adams's advocacy for the parks began only after he had created a substantial body of landscape photographs, works that were aimed at creative rather than for political ends. Looking back on the relationship between his photographs and his advocacy for the environment, he recalled:
I never did a photograph of any importance for an environmental purpose - All the pictures I've done were done because I was there and I loved the mountains and I visualized a picture. However, I do feel very good about the fact that my photographs have been used in environmental campaigns a lot-133; The pictures of Kings Canyon Sierra, for example, were done well before I became involved in the fight to establish Kings Canyon as a national park.11
After playing a central role in establishing Kings Canyon National Park, Adams became widely regarded as the principal photographer of, and unofficial spokesman for, the National Park system. In 1941, the Department of the Interior commissioned him to create a photographic mural about the national parks. The commission was canceled because of World War II, yet Adams returned to the parks in 1946, 1948 and 1958 with funds provided by the Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. In subsequent years, he was invited to discuss American environmental policy with several Presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, and received from the latter the Presidential Medal of Freedom. By way of contrast, Adams conducted a war of words with President Reagan. He described Reagan's Secretary of the Interior James Watt's policy of allowing strip mining and timber harvesting in the national parks as an indefensible policy of ";rape, ruin and run!"; 12
Adams would certainly be unhappy with the over-popularity of America's National Parks today. In fact, he preferred the term ";reserve"; to ";park"; because the former term suggested that public lands should be ";open to the public and their cars (to a limited extent)"; but devoid of the human comforts and popular camping facilities that threaten their protection and preservation. 13 ";There is certainly nothing amiss,"; he explained with camping, fishing, boating, swimming, skiing, and all the other participation and non-participation sports; people do not have enough of these healthful and refreshing experiences. But you do not play ping-pong in a cathedral, rustle popcorn at a string-quartet concert, or hang billboards on the face of Half Dome in Yosemite (not all of us would, anyway!). You must have certain noble areas of the world left in as close-to-primal condition as possible. You must have quietness and a certain amount of solitude. You must be able to touch the living rock, drink the pure waters, scan the great vistas, sleep under the stars and awaken to the cool dawn wind. Such experiences are the heritage of all people. 14
Adam's ";pure"; images, technical accomplishments and critical views about the environment are no less relevant today, 15 years after his death, than during his lifetime. At last count, the U.S. Forest Service had carved more than 378,000 miles of roads in America's forests, primarily to allow access for logging and mining. And there are plans to add 580,000 more. 15 Adams realized that America's national parks had been created by an act of Congress, and could be taken away. He also realized that the prints that he selected for this exhibition would travel throughout the country long after his death and be seen by all. As a body of work, these prints illustrate Adams's concern that ";the dragons of demand have been kept at snarling distance by the St. Georges of conservation, but the menace remains. Only education can enlighten our people -150; education and its accompanying interpretation, and the seeking of resonances of understanding in the contemplation of Nature.";16
Peter Barr is Assistant Professor of Art History and Klemm Gallery Director at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan.
1 I want to acknowledge and thank Kimberly Blessing and Kimberly Barr, who read earlier versions of this essay and made helpful comments.
2 See Patricia A. Johnson, Real Fantasies: Edward Steichen's Advertising Photography (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997).
3 I want to thank Deborah Danielson for explaining the intricacies of the Zone System to me.
4 For a discussion of Stieglitz's symbolist ideals, see Allan Sekula, ";On the Invention of Photographic Meaning,"; Artforum 13:5 (January 1975), reprinted in Vicki Goldberg, Photography in Print (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1981), 452-73.
5 ";Playboy Interview: Ansel Adams -150; candid conversation,"; Playboy vol. 30, no. 5 (May 1983), 68.
6 Ibid., 68-9.
7 Ibid., 226.
8 See Mary Street Alinder, Ansel Adams: A Biography (New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1996), 171.
9 ";Playboy Interview,"; 68.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid., 86.
12 ";Playboy Interview,"; 222.
13 Ansel Adams, The Role of the Artist in Conservation (Berkeley, California: University of California College of Natural Resources, Department of Forestry & Conservation, March 3, 1975), 11.
14 Ansel Adams, ";Give Nature Time,"; Occidental College Commencement Address, June 11, 1967, with thanks to Leslie Calmes at the Center for Creative Photography, Tuscon Arizona, for sending me with this and other essays by Adams quoted in this paper.
15 Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods (New York: Broadway Books, 1998).
16 Ansel Adams, ";A Photographer Talks About His Art,"; address to the Friends of Occidental College, January 22, 1969.
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Following is a list of questions often used by Museum educators and student docents. We often use these questions as a starting point for discussion and interaction about the art in our galleries. The questions do change slightly varying on the type of exhibition. Docent trainers always ask docents to elaborate, point out, and support their ideas using their imaginations and components of what they see to formulate thoughtful responses.
- What do you see?
- What is this?
- What attracted you to this particular artwork?
- How do you think it was made?
- What makes this art?
- What do you feel when you view it?
- What do you think is happening in this artwork?
- What does this artwork remind you of?
- How long do you think it took to create this?
- What processes do you think were involved?
- What do you think of it?
- What do you think it means?
- Do you like it? Why? Why not?
- How does the work relate to its title?
- If you could rename it, what would you call it?
- What are the largerissues or themes being represented here?
- What do you think the artist is trying to do, show, or say by creating this?
- What makes you think that?
- How does your understanding of or feeling about this artwork change if you move to another part of the room?
- How have your feelings about this changed now that you have a better understanding?
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS VISUAL ART |
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See Gallery: St. Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos; Frozen Lake and Cliffs, Mount Williamson; Sand Dunes. In the exhibit, Classic Images, see Rose and Driftwood. A. INTRODUCTION - Art in the Modern World Adams was influenced as a young boy by an exhibit of paintings of modern art from Europe. Adams and avant garde artists and photographers in America such as Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Weston, applied new formal ideas that made the subject less important than the treatment using elements of art. Tones: Ansel Adams devised a system of 11 tones from pure white to black that he sought in his photographs. We're going to learn how the inclusion of many grays or "values" makes a photograph or drawing or painting more visually interesting. Elements of Art:
B. STUDENT WARM UP EXERCISE
C. TEACHER DEMONSTRATION
D. STUDENTS DO A DRAWING
E. CLOSING
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS VISUAL ART |
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See Gallery: St. Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos; Frozen Lake and Cliffs, Mount Williamson; Sand Dunes. In the exhibit, Classic Images, see Rose and Driftwood. A. INTRODUCTION - Art in the Modern World Adams was influenced as a young boy by an exhibit of paintings of modern art from Europe. Adams and avant garde artists and photographers in America such as Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Weston, applied new formal ideas that made the subject less important than the treatment using elements of art. Tones: Ansel Adams devised a system of 11 tones from pure white to black that he sought in his photographs. We're going to learn how the inclusion of many grays or "values" makes a photograph or drawing or painting more visually interesting. Elements of Art:
B. STUDENT WARM UP EXERCISE
C. TEACHER DEMONSTRATION
D. STUDENTS DO A DRAWING
E. CLOSING
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS PHOTOGRAPHY & HISTORY |
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See: Gallery: Trailer
Camp Children and Mt
Williamson from Manzanar
Source: Ansel Adams - An Autobiography The Manzanar Relocation Camp Ansel Adams made several trips from Yosemite to the Manzanar Relocation Camp in the Owens Valley of eastern California to photograph Japanese-Americans who were interred during World War II. "The infamous decision of the government (in the time of fear and hysteria following Pearl Harbor) to transport American citizens of Japanese ancestry to several detention camps resulted in most severe hardship among the Japanese American population of the West Coast." Ansel Adams compares his approach in photographing the situation to that of Dorothea Lange. Dorothea Lange "photographed the misery and bewilderment of the Japanese-Americans", whereas his own photographs "were an attempt to record the accomplishment of the people in rising above their desolate situation." Lange photographed Japanese Americans "as they were taken to the tarpaper shacks in the desert. Her photographs are shocking, moving documents of a terrible time for those people." Her photographs have "priceless photographic value." Ansel Adams arrived at Manzanar several years later, "when the relocation camps had been made more livable and functional by the efforts of the inhabitants themselves." He observed their accomplishments in the building of a Japanese garden, farms, schools, churches (Buddhist, Christian, and Shinto), a playground, and small industries. They made the most of the situation and relieved monotony by setting up up cultural studies and events...His photographs were published in Born Free and Equal, along with text he composed. Believing that art must always be positive, he showed the people's courage rather than despair. It was in his text that Ansel was scathingly critical of the detention. ACTIVITY Choose a current issue or situation you feel strongly about. Put together a series of original photographs, drawings or reproductions with or without words to express your views on the subject.
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS PHOTOGRAPHY & HISTORY |
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See: Gallery: Trailer
Camp Children and Mt
Williamson from Manzanar
Source: Ansel Adams - An Autobiography The Manzanar Relocation Camp Ansel Adams made several trips from Yosemite to the Manzanar Relocation Camp in the Owens Valley of eastern California to photograph Japanese-Americans who were interred during World War II. "The infamous decision of the government (in the time of fear and hysteria following Pearl Harbor) to transport American citizens of Japanese ancestry to several detention camps resulted in most severe hardship among the Japanese American population of the West Coast." Ansel Adams compares his approach in photographing the situation to that of Dorothea Lange. Dorothea Lange "photographed the misery and bewilderment of the Japanese-Americans", whereas his own photographs "were an attempt to record the accomplishment of the people in rising above their desolate situation." Lange photographed Japanese Americans "as they were taken to the tarpaper shacks in the desert. Her photographs are shocking, moving documents of a terrible time for those people." Her photographs have "priceless photographic value." Ansel Adams arrived at Manzanar several years later, "when the relocation camps had been made more livable and functional by the efforts of the inhabitants themselves." He observed their accomplishments in the building of a Japanese garden, farms, schools, churches (Buddhist, Christian, and Shinto), a playground, and small industries. They made the most of the situation and relieved monotony by setting up up cultural studies and events...His photographs were published in Born Free and Equal, along with text he composed. Believing that art must always be positive, he showed the people's courage rather than despair. It was in his text that Ansel was scathingly critical of the detention. ACTIVITY Choose a current issue or situation you feel strongly about. Put together a series of original photographs, drawings or reproductions with or without words to express your views on the subject.
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Exhibition Related Programming Lunch and Lecture Series
Video Ansel Adams, Photographer Library The Housatonic Community College has a wide selection of art and reference books relating to the current exhibit and the permanent collection. The library facilities are open to the public. For further information or to schedule a tour please call Janet Luongo
at 203.332.5052. We have a Museum T-shirt for teachers who have booked
tours. |
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Exhibition Related Programming Lunch and Lecture Series
Video Ansel Adams, Photographer Library The Housatonic Community College has a wide selection of art and reference books relating to the current exhibit and the permanent collection. The library facilities are open to the public. For further information or to schedule a tour please call Janet Luongo
at 203.332.5052. We have a Museum T-shirt for teachers who have booked
tours. |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY Books and Articles by Ansel Adams Selected books and articles about Ansel Adams WEB LINKS OF RELATED TOPICS Ansel Adams Biography, www.zpub.com/sf/history/adams.html Timeline of Photography, Photographic Processes, Center for Creative Photography, www.photographymuseum.com Pinhole Photography, http://www.youdesignit.com/resources/pinhole-photography History of Photography, PBS Art AtoZ / Photography, http://www.antiquesatoz.com/artatoz/photo.htm Learn About Large Format Photography, http://www.cs.berkeley.edu:80/~qtluong/photography/lf/ Photography, http://www.artic.edu/aic/index.html Masters of Photography, http://www.masters-of-photography.com National Museum of American Art The American Museum of Photography, www.photographymuseum.com Education Planet, www.educationplanet.com Photography - Lesson Plans A Guide to Depth of Field Complete Guide to eCommerce Photography Protect Photos, Documents And Other Papers From Natural Destruction Over Time BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Ansel. And Mary Austin. Taos Pueblo. San Francisco: Ansel Adams, 1930. _____"Photography." Fortnightly, November 6, December 4, and December 18, 1931 _____"The New Photography." In Modern Photography 1934-35, The Studio Annual of Camera Art. London and New York: The studio Publications, Inc., 1934. _____"An Exposition of Technique" (January), "Landscape" (February), "Portraiture" (March), and "Applied Photography" (April). Camera Craft, 1934. _____Making A Photograph. London and New York: The Studio Publications, 1935. _____"A Personal Credo." Camera Craft, January, 1935. _____Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail. Berkeley: Archetype Press, 1938. _____Ed. Stanley Plumb. The Four Seasons in Yosemite National Park: A Photographic Story of Yosemite's Spectacular Scenery. Yosemite, Calif.: Yosemite Park and Curry Company, 1936. _____Ed. Willard D. Morgan and Henry M. Lester. "The New Expanding Photographic Universe." In Miniature Camera Work. New York: Morgan & Lester, 1938. _____"Discussion of Filters" and "Photo-Murals." U.S. Camera, 1940. _____And Virginia Adams. Michael and Anne in Yosemite Valley. London and New York: The Studio Publications, 1941. _____Born Free and Equal: Photographs of the Loyal Japanese-Americans at Manzanar Relocation Center, Inyo County, California. New York: U.S. Camera, 1944. And Virginia Adams. Illustrated Guide to Yosemite. San Francisco: H.S. Crocker, 1946. _____Camera and Lens. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1948. _____The Negative. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1948._____Yosemite and the High Sierra. Ed. Charlotte E. Maul, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1948. _____The Print. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1950. _____My Camera In Yosemite Valley. Yosemite, Calif. and Boston: Virginia Adams and Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950. _____My Camera In The National Parks. Yosemite, Calif. and Boston: Virginia Adams and Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950. _____And Mary Austin. The Land Of Little Rain. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950. _____Natural-Light Photography. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1952. _____With Nancy Newhall. "Canyon de Chelly National Monument" (June 1952), "Sunset Crater" (July 1952), "The Shell of Tumacacori" (November 1952), "Death Valley" (October 1953), "Organ Pipe" (January 1954), "Mission San Xavie del Bac" (April 1954), and "Mary Austin's Country" (April 1968). Arizona Highways. _____And Nancy Newhall. Death Valley. Palo Alto, Calif.: 5 Associates, 1954. _____And Nancy Newhall. San Xavier del Bac. Palo Alto, Calif.: 5 Associates, 1954. _____And Nancy Newhall. The Pageant of History in Northern California. San Francisco: American Trust Company, 1954. _____Artificial-Light Photography. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1956. _____And Edward Joesting. The Islands of Hawaii. Honolulu: Bishop National Bank of Hawaii, 1958. _____And Nancy Newhall. Yosemite Valley. Palo Alto, Calif.: 5 Associates, 1959 _____And Nancy Newhall. This is the American Earth. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1960. _____And Edwin Corle. Death Valley and the Creek Called Furnace. Los Angeles: Ward Ritchie, 1962. _____These We Inherit: The Parklands of America. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1962. _____Polaroid Land Photography. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1963. _____And Edward Joesting. An Introduction to Hawaii. Palo Alto: 5 Associates, 1964. _____And Nancy Newhall. A More Beautiful America. New York: American Conservation Association. 1965. _____And Nancy Newhall. Fiat Lux: The University of California. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967. _____And Nancy Newhall. The Tetons and Yelowstone. Palo Alto: 5 Associates, 1970. _____Ed. Lilane De Cock. Ansel Adams. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1972. _____Images: 1923-1974. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1974. _____Singular Images. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1974. _____The Horace M. Albright Conservation lectureship: The Role of the Artist in Conservation. Berkeley: University of California, College of Natural Resources, department of Forestry and Conservation, 1975. _____Photographs of the Southwest. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1976. _____The Portfolios of Ansel Adams, 1977. New edition. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1981. _____"Conversations with Ansel Adams," an oral history constructed in 1972, 1974, 1975 by Ruth Teiser and Catherine Harroun, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1978. _____With Robert Baker. Polaroid Land Photography. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1978. _____Yosemite and the Range of Light. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1978. _____With Robert Baker. The Camera. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1980. _____With Robert Baker. The Negative. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1981. _____With Robert Baker. The Print. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1983. _____Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1983. _____With Mary Street Alinder. Ansel Adams: An Autobiography. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1985. _____Ansel Adams: Classic Images. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1986. _____Ed. Mary Street Alinder and Andrea Gray Stillman. Ansel Adams: Letters and Images, 1916 -1984. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1988. _____The American Wilderness. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1991. _____Our National Parks. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1992 _____And John P. Schaefer. Basic Techniques of Photography: An Ansel Adams Guide. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1992. _____Ed. Harry M. Callahan. Ansel Adams in Color. Boston: Bullfinch Press, 1993 _____Yosemite Valley. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1994. _____Yosemite. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1995. Selected books and articles about Ansel Adams
Alinder, James. Ansel Adams: 50 Years of Portraits. Carmel, Calif.,: The Friends of Photography, 1978. Cahn, Robert. "Ansel Adams: Environmentalist." Sierra (Sierra Club), May-June, 1979 Newhall, Nancy. The Eloquent Light. San Francisco: The Sierra Club, 1963. Reprinted, Millerton, NY: Aperture, 1980. Gray, Andrea. Ansel Adams: An American Place, 1936. Tucson: Center for Creative Photography, 1982. Alinder, James. Ansel Adams: 1902-1984. Carmel, Calif.,: The Friends of Photography, 1984. Esterow, Milton. "Ansel Adams: The Last Interview." ARTnews 83, no. 6 (summer 1984): 89. Hambourg, Maria Morris. The New Visions: Photography Between the Wars. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989. Newhall, Nancy. From Adams to Steiglitz: Pioneers of Modern Photography. New York; Aperture,1989. Altshuler, Bruce. The Avant Garde in Exhibition. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1994. Spaulding, Jonathan. Ansel Adams and the American Landscape. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1995. Alinder, Mary Street. Ansel Adams: A Biography. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY Books and Articles by Ansel Adams Selected books and articles about Ansel Adams WEB LINKS OF RELATED TOPICS Ansel Adams Biography, www.zpub.com/sf/history/adams.html Timeline of Photography, Photographic Processes, Center for Creative Photography, www.photographymuseum.com Pinhole Photography, http://www.youdesignit.com/resources/pinhole-photography History of Photography, PBS Art AtoZ / Photography, http://www.antiquesatoz.com/artatoz/photo.htm Learn About Large Format Photography, http://www.cs.berkeley.edu:80/~qtluong/photography/lf/ Photography, http://www.artic.edu/aic/index.html Masters of Photography, http://www.masters-of-photography.com National Museum of American Art The American Museum of Photography, www.photographymuseum.com Education Planet, www.educationplanet.com Photography - Lesson Plans A Guide to Depth of Field Complete Guide to eCommerce Photography Protect Photos, Documents And Other Papers From Natural Destruction Over Time BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Ansel. And Mary Austin. Taos Pueblo. San Francisco: Ansel Adams, 1930. _____"Photography." Fortnightly, November 6, December 4, and December 18, 1931 _____"The New Photography." In Modern Photography 1934-35, The Studio Annual of Camera Art. London and New York: The studio Publications, Inc., 1934. _____"An Exposition of Technique" (January), "Landscape" (February), "Portraiture" (March), and "Applied Photography" (April). Camera Craft, 1934. _____Making A Photograph. London and New York: The Studio Publications, 1935. _____"A Personal Credo." Camera Craft, January, 1935. _____Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail. Berkeley: Archetype Press, 1938. _____Ed. Stanley Plumb. The Four Seasons in Yosemite National Park: A Photographic Story of Yosemite's Spectacular Scenery. Yosemite, Calif.: Yosemite Park and Curry Company, 1936. _____Ed. Willard D. Morgan and Henry M. Lester. "The New Expanding Photographic Universe." In Miniature Camera Work. New York: Morgan & Lester, 1938. _____"Discussion of Filters" and "Photo-Murals." U.S. Camera, 1940. _____And Virginia Adams. Michael and Anne in Yosemite Valley. London and New York: The Studio Publications, 1941. _____Born Free and Equal: Photographs of the Loyal Japanese-Americans at Manzanar Relocation Center, Inyo County, California. New York: U.S. Camera, 1944. And Virginia Adams. Illustrated Guide to Yosemite. San Francisco: H.S. Crocker, 1946. _____Camera and Lens. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1948. _____The Negative. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1948._____Yosemite and the High Sierra. Ed. Charlotte E. Maul, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1948. _____The Print. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1950. _____My Camera In Yosemite Valley. Yosemite, Calif. and Boston: Virginia Adams and Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950. _____My Camera In The National Parks. Yosemite, Calif. and Boston: Virginia Adams and Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950. _____And Mary Austin. The Land Of Little Rain. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950. _____Natural-Light Photography. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1952. _____With Nancy Newhall. "Canyon de Chelly National Monument" (June 1952), "Sunset Crater" (July 1952), "The Shell of Tumacacori" (November 1952), "Death Valley" (October 1953), "Organ Pipe" (January 1954), "Mission San Xavie del Bac" (April 1954), and "Mary Austin's Country" (April 1968). Arizona Highways. _____And Nancy Newhall. Death Valley. Palo Alto, Calif.: 5 Associates, 1954. _____And Nancy Newhall. San Xavier del Bac. Palo Alto, Calif.: 5 Associates, 1954. _____And Nancy Newhall. The Pageant of History in Northern California. San Francisco: American Trust Company, 1954. _____Artificial-Light Photography. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1956. _____And Edward Joesting. The Islands of Hawaii. Honolulu: Bishop National Bank of Hawaii, 1958. _____And Nancy Newhall. Yosemite Valley. Palo Alto, Calif.: 5 Associates, 1959 _____And Nancy Newhall. This is the American Earth. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1960. _____And Edwin Corle. Death Valley and the Creek Called Furnace. Los Angeles: Ward Ritchie, 1962. _____These We Inherit: The Parklands of America. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1962. _____Polaroid Land Photography. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1963. _____And Edward Joesting. An Introduction to Hawaii. Palo Alto: 5 Associates, 1964. _____And Nancy Newhall. A More Beautiful America. New York: American Conservation Association. 1965. _____And Nancy Newhall. Fiat Lux: The University of California. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967. _____And Nancy Newhall. The Tetons and Yelowstone. Palo Alto: 5 Associates, 1970. _____Ed. Lilane De Cock. Ansel Adams. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1972. _____Images: 1923-1974. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1974. _____Singular Images. New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1974. _____The Horace M. Albright Conservation lectureship: The Role of the Artist in Conservation. Berkeley: University of California, College of Natural Resources, department of Forestry and Conservation, 1975. _____Photographs of the Southwest. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1976. _____The Portfolios of Ansel Adams, 1977. New edition. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1981. _____"Conversations with Ansel Adams," an oral history constructed in 1972, 1974, 1975 by Ruth Teiser and Catherine Harroun, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1978. _____With Robert Baker. Polaroid Land Photography. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1978. _____Yosemite and the Range of Light. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1978. _____With Robert Baker. The Camera. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1980. _____With Robert Baker. The Negative. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1981. _____With Robert Baker. The Print. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1983. _____Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1983. _____With Mary Street Alinder. Ansel Adams: An Autobiography. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1985. _____Ansel Adams: Classic Images. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1986. _____Ed. Mary Street Alinder and Andrea Gray Stillman. Ansel Adams: Letters and Images, 1916 -1984. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1988. _____The American Wilderness. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1991. _____Our National Parks. Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1992 _____And John P. Schaefer. Basic Techniques of Photography: An Ansel Adams Guide. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1992. _____Ed. Harry M. Callahan. Ansel Adams in Color. Boston: Bullfinch Press, 1993 _____Yosemite Valley. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1994. _____Yosemite. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1995. Selected books and articles about Ansel Adams
Alinder, James. Ansel Adams: 50 Years of Portraits. Carmel, Calif.,: The Friends of Photography, 1978. Cahn, Robert. "Ansel Adams: Environmentalist." Sierra (Sierra Club), May-June, 1979 Newhall, Nancy. The Eloquent Light. San Francisco: The Sierra Club, 1963. Reprinted, Millerton, NY: Aperture, 1980. Gray, Andrea. Ansel Adams: An American Place, 1936. Tucson: Center for Creative Photography, 1982. Alinder, James. Ansel Adams: 1902-1984. Carmel, Calif.,: The Friends of Photography, 1984. Esterow, Milton. "Ansel Adams: The Last Interview." ARTnews 83, no. 6 (summer 1984): 89. Hambourg, Maria Morris. The New Visions: Photography Between the Wars. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989. Newhall, Nancy. From Adams to Steiglitz: Pioneers of Modern Photography. New York; Aperture,1989. Altshuler, Bruce. The Avant Garde in Exhibition. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1994. Spaulding, Jonathan. Ansel Adams and the American Landscape. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1995. Alinder, Mary Street. Ansel Adams: A Biography. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS GEOGRAPHY |
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l Gallery: Vernal Falls, Monolith, Dogwood. For other images of Yosemite see exhibit and book, Ansel Adams- Classic Images. Activities1. The location where Ansel Adams took the most photographs for Classic Images was in Yosemite National Park in California. Identify on a map Yosemite and the other locations where photographs were taken as listed below: 2. How many states are represented in this exhibit? How many states are not represented?
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS GEOGRAPHY |
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l Gallery: Vernal Falls, Monolith, Dogwood. For other images of Yosemite see exhibit and book, Ansel Adams- Classic Images. Activities1. The location where Ansel Adams took the most photographs for Classic Images was in Yosemite National Park in California. Identify on a map Yosemite and the other locations where photographs were taken as listed below: 2. How many states are represented in this exhibit? How many states are not represented?
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS MUSIC |
| See: Gallery:
for photographs of magnificent mountains, such as Monolith,
Mount Williamson, and Vernal
Falls. Music and its Relation to Other Art
Forms
Friends said they could hear Ansel's zone system of tones in his music. He likened the negative to a composer's score, and the photographic print was like a performance with a variety of interpretations, without departing from the major concept. ActivitiesLook and Listen # 1 Choose an Ansel Adams photograph and ask students what feeling it inspires. Ask the students to suggest songs or musical compositions that inspire similar feelings. Listen to songs, such as those listed and determine if the mood of the image and songs are similar? Why or why not?
Look and Listen # 2 Ansel Adams was an accomplished musician, with a career as a pianist before he became a professional photographer He credited the study of music with his development of self-discipline and the pursuit of precision. The pianist Ashkenazy played at his 80th birthday party. He learned to play Handel, Bach, Mozart, and some of his favorite pieces are Beethoven's 4th Symphony and Moonlight Sonata.Listen to some of the music Ansel Adams most enjoyed or other classical selection and determine if the music is in the same spirit as his photographs. |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS MUSIC |
| See: Gallery:
for photographs of magnificent mountains, such as Monolith,
Mount Williamson, and Vernal
Falls.Music and its Relation to Other Art
Forms
Friends said they could hear Ansel's zone system of tones in his music. He likened the negative to a composer's score, and the photographic print was like a performance with a variety of interpretations, without departing from the major concept. ActivitiesLook and Listen # 1 Choose an Ansel Adams photograph and ask students what feeling it inspires. Ask the students to suggest songs or musical compositions that inspire similar feelings. Listen to songs, such as those listed and determine if the mood of the image and songs are similar? Why or why not?
Look and Listen # 2 Ansel Adams was an accomplished musician, with a career as a pianist before he became a professional photographer He credited the study of music with his development of self-discipline and the pursuit of precision. The pianist Ashkenazy played at his 80th birthday party. He learned to play Handel, Bach, Mozart, and some of his favorite pieces are Beethoven's 4th Symphony and Moonlight Sonata.Listen to some of the music Ansel Adams most enjoyed or other classical selection and determine if the music is in the same spirit as his photographs. |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS HISTORY |
| See: Gallery: Trailer
Camp Children
Adams said he was too young for the World War I and too old for the World War II. Yet he did live through historical events of the 20th century, such as the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. He has seen the environment transformed, which he has strong feelings about. (See Gallery: Vernal Falls). He witnessed a huge change in technology. John Szarkowski, who began the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, wrote in The Portfolios of Ansel Adams, "When he began to take photographs in the late 1920s, it was before the Model A had begun to replace the Model T. At that time there were no superhighways, no motels, and no passenger airlines. San Francisco and New York were, by crack train, four splendid days apart." Adams was deeply impressed by the detention of Japanese Americans at Manzanar in California during World War II. (See Photography and History Lesson Plan, and Gallery: Mount Williamson) He was interrogated during the McCarthy Era of the 1940s. Adams explains in his autobiography that during the Great Depression in the 1930s, many American citizens turned toward leftist philosophy hoping for relief from the great hardships. Adams wrote that he and his friends "signed numerous petitions...In retrospect, many of these were undoubtedly Communist inspired." The dreadful McCarthy period was the "first time I doubted the integrity of the American system." Adams wrote that he was at a party with Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, whose loyalty was questioned by McCarthy. The guest list had to be turned over to the F.B.I., who then interviewed party guests, including Adams, several times. In New York Adams had become a member of the Photo League who held lively discussions, lectures and exhibitions. The League had the philosophy that art should be used for social change. There were some members with ties to socialist and Communist groups. The League was placed on the Red List of the House Un-American Activities Committee. At a meeting of the League, Adams "rose to beg the League to renounce all ties to Communism." When they did not agree, he resigned. Adams wrote in his autobiography, "During the McCarthy era there was a sour taste of evil in the air, an unsettling distortion of our American principles of justice...Friend turned against friend, reputations were destroyed; the Gestapo spirit was alive in all levels of society. Artists, writers, philosophers and scientists were the prime targets." ActivityThink about the events you have lived through in your lifetime. How have you been affected by changes in technology and encroachments on the environment? Do you perceive any possible threats to your freedoms and right to expression? |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS HISTORY |
| See: Gallery: Trailer
Camp Children
Adams said he was too young for the World War I and too old for the World War II. Yet he did live through historical events of the 20th century, such as the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. He has seen the environment transformed, which he has strong feelings about. (See Gallery: Vernal Falls). He witnessed a huge change in technology. John Szarkowski, who began the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, wrote in The Portfolios of Ansel Adams, "When he began to take photographs in the late 1920s, it was before the Model A had begun to replace the Model T. At that time there were no superhighways, no motels, and no passenger airlines. San Francisco and New York were, by crack train, four splendid days apart." Adams was deeply impressed by the detention of Japanese Americans at Manzanar in California during World War II. (See Photography and History Lesson Plan, and Gallery: Mount Williamson) He was interrogated during the McCarthy Era of the 1940s. Adams explains in his autobiography that during the Great Depression in the 1930s, many American citizens turned toward leftist philosophy hoping for relief from the great hardships. Adams wrote that he and his friends "signed numerous petitions...In retrospect, many of these were undoubtedly Communist inspired." The dreadful McCarthy period was the "first time I doubted the integrity of the American system." Adams wrote that he was at a party with Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, whose loyalty was questioned by McCarthy. The guest list had to be turned over to the F.B.I., who then interviewed party guests, including Adams, several times. In New York Adams had become a member of the Photo League who held lively discussions, lectures and exhibitions. The League had the philosophy that art should be used for social change. There were some members with ties to socialist and Communist groups. The League was placed on the Red List of the House Un-American Activities Committee. At a meeting of the League, Adams "rose to beg the League to renounce all ties to Communism." When they did not agree, he resigned. Adams wrote in his autobiography, "During the McCarthy era there was a sour taste of evil in the air, an unsettling distortion of our American principles of justice...Friend turned against friend, reputations were destroyed; the Gestapo spirit was alive in all levels of society. Artists, writers, philosophers and scientists were the prime targets." ActivityThink about the events you have lived through in your lifetime. How have you been affected by changes in technology and encroachments on the environment? Do you perceive any possible threats to your freedoms and right to expression? |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS MATH |
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See: Gallery: Surf Sequence, Moonrise, Hernandez Photography Exposure Experiment Equipment:
Observation: To expose film for a determined amount of light, the smaller the opening (aperture) the slower the shutter speed. øThe larger the aperture, the faster the shutter speed. Conclusion: Aperture and shutter speed are functions of each other.? |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS MATH |
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See: Gallery: Surf Sequence, Moonrise, Hernandez Photography Exposure Experiment Equipment:
Observation: To expose film for a determined amount of light, the smaller the opening (aperture) the slower the shutter speed. øThe larger the aperture, the faster the shutter speed. Conclusion: Aperture and shutter speed are functions of each other.? |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS SCIENCE |
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NOTE: The chemistry activity
at the end of this section is teacher-led only.
PhysicsHow does the simplest camera work? The word "camera" means room in Italian. It was in a dark room (camera obscura) in Italy many centuries ago that it was noticed that light from outside passing through a small hole exactly reproduced the scene outside on the opposite wall. It was astonishing. And also perplexing, because the image was upside down. Why was the image upside down? Light travels in straight lines. Light rays from the top part of the scene outdoors can only reach the bottom part of the receiving area (the opposite wall) through the tiny hole, and vice-versa. The image is dim and ill-defined because the light rays travelling from each point of the subject are slightly dispersed as they pass through the hole. ACTIVITYFind out how to make a pinhole camera in My First Photography Book by Dave King. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1994.
How can the image be made sharper? To produce a brighter and sharper image than is possible from a simple pin hole, it is necessary to converge the light rays and focus the image. This requires a lens. Study a prism to see how light is refracted or bent when it passes through.
How is this knowledge used today? The phenomena of the camera obscura (dark room) was put to use to help Italian Renaissance and Dutch artists make very realistic, "photographic" images, and later led to the development of the modern camera. SCIENCE - Chemistry How is chemistry used in photography today?
Today photographers use special paper that is coated with chemicals that
are sensitive to light. In a dark room, they project light through a negative
which is placed in an enlarger.
Can I make photographs without a negative and an enlarger? (Teachers - please call for specific chemicals and times) PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT A CAMERA OR FILM NEGATIVE Set up the room as above.
Now you have the final image - a negative of the image you started with. THE ABOVE ACTIVITY IS FOR TEACHERS ONLY! |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS SCIENCE |
|
NOTE: The chemistry activity
at the end of this section is teacher-led only.
PhysicsHow does the simplest camera work? The word "camera" means room in Italian. It was in a dark room (camera obscura) in Italy many centuries ago that it was noticed that light from outside passing through a small hole exactly reproduced the scene outside on the opposite wall. It was astonishing. And also perplexing, because the image was upside down. Why was the image upside down? Light travels in straight lines. Light rays from the top part of the scene outdoors can only reach the bottom part of the receiving area (the opposite wall) through the tiny hole, and vice-versa. The image is dim and ill-defined because the light rays travelling from each point of the subject are slightly dispersed as they pass through the hole. ACTIVITYFind out how to make a pinhole camera in My First Photography Book by Dave King. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1994.
How can the image be made sharper? To produce a brighter and sharper image than is possible from a simple pin hole, it is necessary to converge the light rays and focus the image. This requires a lens. Study a prism to see how light is refracted or bent when it passes through.
How is this knowledge used today? The phenomena of the camera obscura (dark room) was put to use to help Italian Renaissance and Dutch artists make very realistic, "photographic" images, and later led to the development of the modern camera. SCIENCE - Chemistry How is chemistry used in photography today?
Today photographers use special paper that is coated with chemicals that
are sensitive to light. In a dark room, they project light through a negative
which is placed in an enlarger.
Can I make photographs without a negative and an enlarger? (Teachers - please call for specific chemicals and times) PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT A CAMERA OR FILM NEGATIVE Set up the room as above.
Now you have the final image - a negative of the image you started with. THE ABOVE ACTIVITY IS FOR TEACHERS ONLY! |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS STUDENT PROJECTS |
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To view student work by school, choose the link below... Platt Regional Technical Vocational School Middle School Talented and Gifted Students From Oxford and Derby |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS STUDENT PROJECTS |
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To view student work by school, choose the link below... Platt Regional Technical Vocational School Middle School Talented and Gifted Students From Oxford and Derby |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS GALLERY OF IMAGES |
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ANSEL ADAMS LESSON PLANS GALLERY OF IMAGES |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Amity High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing Ansel Adams exhibit... Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Winter Storm: It's 5:30 PM, clouds are rolling in. the temperature
is dropping, it seems to be about 50 degrees. The birds are still
flying overhead and their screeches echo through the snow covered
mountains. The faint smell of pine sifts upward in the light breeze. The cliff shoots right out of the lake. The clouds as they roll by
block the sun on the mountains and cliffs. The fog rolls down the
side of a mountainside. The ground is muddy and wet. A powdering of snow has fallen but the air is brisk, not cold. There
are many small streams gurgling nearby. At 10:00 in the morning, the sun is at its perfect angle because
it's not too far up on the horizon, but just far enough to warm my
face. Writing prompt: What might Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox be saying to each other? She: Your feet are as big as that cloud. Man: It's kinda cold out, do you want to go in? The woman is telling a joke, flirting. Writing Prompt: Choose a landscape and write a postcard from the place. The mountains have settled deep into the fog as over. The trees seem
to be going to sleep. The severe beauty of this place is such a extraordinary
sight that I don't know how such a thing could be caught on camera. Writing Prompt: If the picture could talk, what would it say? Trailer Camp Children: The big kid might be thinking, "I
hope we don't die like this." The little kids might be thinking,
"Where's my parents?" Write a four-line poem... Alone Majestic The sun turns the clouds into golden pillows (Frozen Lakes and Cliffs) |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Amity High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing Ansel Adams exhibit... Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Winter Storm: It's 5:30 PM, clouds are rolling in. the temperature
is dropping, it seems to be about 50 degrees. The birds are still
flying overhead and their screeches echo through the snow covered
mountains. The faint smell of pine sifts upward in the light breeze. The cliff shoots right out of the lake. The clouds as they roll by
block the sun on the mountains and cliffs. The fog rolls down the
side of a mountainside. The ground is muddy and wet. A powdering of snow has fallen but the air is brisk, not cold. There
are many small streams gurgling nearby. At 10:00 in the morning, the sun is at its perfect angle because
it's not too far up on the horizon, but just far enough to warm my
face. Writing prompt: What might Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox be saying to each other? She: Your feet are as big as that cloud. Man: It's kinda cold out, do you want to go in? The woman is telling a joke, flirting. Writing Prompt: Choose a landscape and write a postcard from the place. The mountains have settled deep into the fog as over. The trees seem
to be going to sleep. The severe beauty of this place is such a extraordinary
sight that I don't know how such a thing could be caught on camera. Writing Prompt: If the picture could talk, what would it say? Trailer Camp Children: The big kid might be thinking, "I
hope we don't die like this." The little kids might be thinking,
"Where's my parents?" Write a four-line poem... Alone Majestic The sun turns the clouds into golden pillows (Frozen Lakes and Cliffs) |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Bassick High |
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Student writing inspired by viewing Ansel Adams exhibit...
Writing Prompt: Look at the photograph and begin a letter to a friend with the words, "Last Night..." William Compton: Christopher McDowell: Colleen Volpe: Venisa Brenton: Jowan Saifaden: |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Bassick High |
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Student writing inspired by viewing Ansel Adams exhibit...
Writing Prompt: Look at the photograph and begin a letter to a friend with the words, "Last Night..." William Compton: Christopher McDowell: Colleen Volpe: Venisa Brenton: Jowan Saifaden: |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Fairfield High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... Write a four line poem... Moonrise, Hernandez Juniper Tree Detail Monolith Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Moonrise | |||||||||
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STUDENT PROJECTS Fairfield High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... Write a four line poem... Moonrise, Hernandez Juniper Tree Detail Monolith Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Moonrise | |||||||||
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STUDENT PROJECTS Garfield High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Garfield High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Great Oak Middle School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Great Oak Middle School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Harding High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... Driftwood in serene ponds Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Surf Sequence I would hear the calling of the birds, the swishing of the water, the
smell of seaweed and The picture almost looks 3-D because the black looks as if it sinks
into the picture while I would hear the wind moving the water waves and the water falling
down. I would also I can hear the water. The air smells fresh. Everything has a grainy
feeling. It's the |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Harding High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... Driftwood in serene ponds Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Surf Sequence I would hear the calling of the birds, the swishing of the water, the
smell of seaweed and The picture almost looks 3-D because the black looks as if it sinks
into the picture while I would hear the wind moving the water waves and the water falling
down. I would also I can hear the water. The air smells fresh. Everything has a grainy
feeling. It's the |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Housatonic Community College |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Housatonic Community College |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Longfellow School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing samples inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... 8TH GRADE Writing Prompt: Choose a landscape and write a postcard from the place. Grandpa, Dear Mom, Dear Elaine, Dear Danee, Dear Vanessa, Dear Jessica, Hi Owen, Dear Ashley, Dear A Tavia, There are rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. To me once this scene
represents that there are hard times but once you reach the edge things
will calm down. I guess the big rock next to the waterfall represents
a wall that makes you have to go through rough times, which are represented
by the sharp rocks at the bottom. Dear Mom, Dear Mama, Writing Prompt: If the picture could talk, what would it say? The Spanish American Woman, near Chicayo, New Mexico, 1937.
This picture says to me "I am old and so is the wood, our texture
is the same, but intentions are different." Trailer Camp Children. I think if this picture could talk, the
children would say, "Help, I'm afraid." They are afraid of
someone. Probably their mother is being beaten by their father. And
they have to sit there and watch and they look sorry and sad. Trailer Camp Children. They are showing sorrow for their pathetic
lives. And screaming out from the reaches of their own hell. Will people
look at the worthless people they are? For they are condemned to their
own terror. Buddhist Graves |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Longfellow School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing samples inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... 8TH GRADE Writing Prompt: Choose a landscape and write a postcard from the place. Grandpa, Dear Mom, Dear Elaine, Dear Danee, Dear Vanessa, Dear Jessica, Hi Owen, Dear Ashley, Dear A Tavia, There are rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. To me once this scene
represents that there are hard times but once you reach the edge things
will calm down. I guess the big rock next to the waterfall represents
a wall that makes you have to go through rough times, which are represented
by the sharp rocks at the bottom. Dear Mom, Dear Mama, Writing Prompt: If the picture could talk, what would it say? The Spanish American Woman, near Chicayo, New Mexico, 1937.
This picture says to me "I am old and so is the wood, our texture
is the same, but intentions are different." Trailer Camp Children. I think if this picture could talk, the
children would say, "Help, I'm afraid." They are afraid of
someone. Probably their mother is being beaten by their father. And
they have to sit there and watch and they look sorry and sad. Trailer Camp Children. They are showing sorrow for their pathetic
lives. And screaming out from the reaches of their own hell. Will people
look at the worthless people they are? For they are condemned to their
own terror. Buddhist Graves |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Multicultural Magnet School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Ansel Adams Ansel Adams was a musician, a teacher, a scientist, a conservationist, and an advocate. These are just some of the terms that describe the most famous photographer in American history. Ansel Adams was born in 1902 in San Francisco, California. When he was fourteen, he went on a family vacation to Yosemite Valley in California. He was given a No. 1 Brownie Box camera around the same time as he went to Yosemite Valley. These two small events affected a lot on Adam's life. He was impressed and fascinated by photography and things like the Sierra Mountains. Adams worked with a photofinisher in commercial processing San Francisco in the winter and returned to Yosemite every summer. For four years (beginning at age seventeen) Ansel was working at the Sierra Club LeConte memorial Building in Yosemite as a custodian. This influenced Adams to his vocation, which was the preservation and conservation of the wilderness areas and national parks in the United States. He made lots of accomplishments; for example, he served as board member and director of the Sierra Club and as environmental spokesperson for land protection in Congress. He also organized early photographic workshops in Yosemite's landscape with technical teaching. When Ansel was a teenager he wanted to be a concert pianist, but after he observed the negatives made by Paul Strand (an East Coast photographer) in 1930, he decided to become a photographer. Because he decided to become a photographer, the West Coast had different remarks made by the people on them. There were lots of different photographs in the bay area of California. For example, Edward Weston, Sonya Noskowiak, Henry Swift, John Paul Edwards, and Imogen Cunningham were all photographer s from California. In 1935, Ansel already had published his own book called Making a Photograph, which everyone loved. Six years later (in 1941), his groundbreaking Zone System was expressed, "which introduced a way for the amateur and professional alike to determine and control the exposure and development of prints for maximum visual acuity". Because of Ansel Adams' teaching and his publishing, he has influenced many, many generations of photographers. Ansel accomplished many things like he was a guest lecturer and course instructor at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He founded the first department of photography at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and he was also an author of many books. Ansel had a dream that was to guarantee the keeping of photographs and make them open for public education purposes. Today, there are rare prints, negatives, study prints, and souvenirs at the Ansel Adams Archive Center. Ansel Adams Ansel Easton Adams lived from 1920-1984. He was born into a wealthy family in San Francisco, California. He was first trained to become a concert pianist. His interest in photography began in 1916 when he went on a trip to Yosemite National Park. His earliest photographs were in the soft focus style. This was popular at that time. But after contact with American photographer Paul Strand and others in 1930, his work began to develop the sharp focus. He became a famous American photographer. He is well known for his black-and-white photographs of Yosemite National Park, the California coast, and other wilderness areas of the American West. Ansel painstaking control and detail made him unequaled as a technical master of the black and white print. His photograph includes convey and both the vast scale and the intimate detail of a landscape. He abandoned his musical career in favor of a career in photography. He moved to Yosemite in 1937 and later to Carmel, California. Ansel invented a method of development. He called it the zone system. He used to divide the gradations of light in a scene into ten zones from black to white this let him to visualize the different levels of gray in the final photograph. He spent much of his life photographing in the national parks, and served as an official photographer for the Sierra Club. In 1932 Adams and other California photographers, founded an influential group called f/64. This group was devoted to taking straightforward photographs in sharp focus. In 1935 Adams published "Making a Photograph". It was the first of a series of technical manuals. In 1949 he helped found the photography department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 1946 he helped establish the first academic department to teach photography. In 1949 he took part in his first photography workshop at Yosemite. From 1955 to 1981 he held annual photography workshops in Yosemite. In 1943 he took photographs that documented the conditions of Japanese Americans during World War II. Adams published more than two dozen books. A year after his death his autobiography was published. In 1984 the United States Congress established the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area. In 1989 they opened an exhibit to promote his work along with that of other photographers. In conclusion I think Ansel Adams was a very important man in the photographic world. I also think that he was a unique photographer and that the world should learn more about him. |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Multicultural Magnet School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Ansel Adams Ansel Adams was a musician, a teacher, a scientist, a conservationist, and an advocate. These are just some of the terms that describe the most famous photographer in American history. Ansel Adams was born in 1902 in San Francisco, California. When he was fourteen, he went on a family vacation to Yosemite Valley in California. He was given a No. 1 Brownie Box camera around the same time as he went to Yosemite Valley. These two small events affected a lot on Adam's life. He was impressed and fascinated by photography and things like the Sierra Mountains. Adams worked with a photofinisher in commercial processing San Francisco in the winter and returned to Yosemite every summer. For four years (beginning at age seventeen) Ansel was working at the Sierra Club LeConte memorial Building in Yosemite as a custodian. This influenced Adams to his vocation, which was the preservation and conservation of the wilderness areas and national parks in the United States. He made lots of accomplishments; for example, he served as board member and director of the Sierra Club and as environmental spokesperson for land protection in Congress. He also organized early photographic workshops in Yosemite's landscape with technical teaching. When Ansel was a teenager he wanted to be a concert pianist, but after he observed the negatives made by Paul Strand (an East Coast photographer) in 1930, he decided to become a photographer. Because he decided to become a photographer, the West Coast had different remarks made by the people on them. There were lots of different photographs in the bay area of California. For example, Edward Weston, Sonya Noskowiak, Henry Swift, John Paul Edwards, and Imogen Cunningham were all photographer s from California. In 1935, Ansel already had published his own book called Making a Photograph, which everyone loved. Six years later (in 1941), his groundbreaking Zone System was expressed, "which introduced a way for the amateur and professional alike to determine and control the exposure and development of prints for maximum visual acuity". Because of Ansel Adams' teaching and his publishing, he has influenced many, many generations of photographers. Ansel accomplished many things like he was a guest lecturer and course instructor at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He founded the first department of photography at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and he was also an author of many books. Ansel had a dream that was to guarantee the keeping of photographs and make them open for public education purposes. Today, there are rare prints, negatives, study prints, and souvenirs at the Ansel Adams Archive Center. Ansel Adams Ansel Easton Adams lived from 1920-1984. He was born into a wealthy family in San Francisco, California. He was first trained to become a concert pianist. His interest in photography began in 1916 when he went on a trip to Yosemite National Park. His earliest photographs were in the soft focus style. This was popular at that time. But after contact with American photographer Paul Strand and others in 1930, his work began to develop the sharp focus. He became a famous American photographer. He is well known for his black-and-white photographs of Yosemite National Park, the California coast, and other wilderness areas of the American West. Ansel painstaking control and detail made him unequaled as a technical master of the black and white print. His photograph includes convey and both the vast scale and the intimate detail of a landscape. He abandoned his musical career in favor of a career in photography. He moved to Yosemite in 1937 and later to Carmel, California. Ansel invented a method of development. He called it the zone system. He used to divide the gradations of light in a scene into ten zones from black to white this let him to visualize the different levels of gray in the final photograph. He spent much of his life photographing in the national parks, and served as an official photographer for the Sierra Club. In 1932 Adams and other California photographers, founded an influential group called f/64. This group was devoted to taking straightforward photographs in sharp focus. In 1935 Adams published "Making a Photograph". It was the first of a series of technical manuals. In 1949 he helped found the photography department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 1946 he helped establish the first academic department to teach photography. In 1949 he took part in his first photography workshop at Yosemite. From 1955 to 1981 he held annual photography workshops in Yosemite. In 1943 he took photographs that documented the conditions of Japanese Americans during World War II. Adams published more than two dozen books. A year after his death his autobiography was published. In 1984 the United States Congress established the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area. In 1989 they opened an exhibit to promote his work along with that of other photographers. In conclusion I think Ansel Adams was a very important man in the photographic world. I also think that he was a unique photographer and that the world should learn more about him. |
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STUDENT PROJECTS New Canaan High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below... After visiting the museum, I found I had a great interest in analyzing Ansel Adam's photographs. The "tours" were helpful, along with the beginning background information. If I had to change one thing however, I would have given us more free time to analyze a particular photograph (either) drawing or writing about it. I would also probably have given us more time as a group to see and talk about more than just 3 or 4 photographs (to hear more of one another's ideas). -Thank you. Ansel Adams Assignment The photographs by Ansel Adams are very symbolic of many topics we have discussed throughout the year. The one that stood out the most to me was the idea of the American Way. One way to define the American Way would be a constant hope for the future. Many immigrants came to this country in search of a better opportunity than they had been previously given. This optimism has been instilled in our society. We as Americans are constantly preparing for our futures with high hopes of the best for ourselves. Ansel Adams' photographs had a strong emphasis on hope. There were few photographs of people in rough circumstances because he wanted to concentrate on people overcoming obstacles, not people taken down by them. He concentrated mainly on nature and landscapes. In each of these landscapes there were various sections of light and dark contrasts. In many various cases the dark sections are towards the bottom and they lead to the light at the top. One example was a photograph of the Japanese relocation camp at Manzanar. They were many large rocks towards the base which represented the obstacles that must be faced in order to reach the beautiful mountains in the distance. These mountains were illuminated and there was a clearing in the clouds. This was symbolic of the road to freedom the Japanese Americans had to travel. It was a light at the end of the tunnel and the hope of a better future. Another photograph that expressed this hope was the "Clearing Winter Storm". It was the good that comes after the bad. It symbolizes the fact that you need to suffer though bad times once in a while, but their will always be that hope of something better once the storm clears. Ansel Adams only photographed American scenes. He loved the American landscapes and the powerful aura they created. The peaceful and serene qualities of the endless deserts and the majestic fruits of the immense mountains. In many of the photographs of Ansel Adams' there is a sense of hope and beauty beyond the shadows. The American Way is to find a way to achieve a perfect future. There are many different ways to interpret how one would reach the "illuminate mountains", but it does not matter how one gets there. Everyone will take a different path, but they are all looking towards these same mountains. "Don't Judge a Book By its Cover" Through many of his photographs, the idea of similarities and equality, yet differences and individualism was illustrated. All of these landscapes we looked at today relate to an idea of groups and conformity. Like his photographs, everything and everyone can appear so tranquil, simple, happy, beautiful, and comforting. Yet by looking deeper into the minds of people or the photographs, there is difference, individualism and chaos. Relating to life issues and people, they appear just from the outside as happy and perfect, but deep inside there is anger, sadness and/or confusion. In the "Rose and Driftwood" photograph in San Francisco, I wrote (in my postcard) how this scene was so calm with no distraction and no problems. The rose, representing beauty, seemed so soft, tranquil and delicate. However, looking more and more at the romantic contrast in colors of the rose, I felt like the rose represented more sadness and loss for whoever left it there. In the next photograph, "Death Valley", I began to see more of these sharp contrasts that were hidden, likes those in the "Rose and Driftwood". The most significant part of this piece was that there were very smooth textured areas and rough areas, which intersected in a very sharp edge. This again gave me the feeling of a strong contrast. When first looking at the photograph it seemed plain and almost boring. Looking further into it, it came alive. The final photograph is "Mount Williamson" in Nevada. In the scene, there are millions of rocks leading up to mountains, etc. The technique again used in this picture is the millions of different grays. From a quick glance, the rocks are sort of mlurred away and the mountains draw the attention. However, for me, these rocks were the most significant part of the scenery. Of these many rocks, they look all the same, yet everyone is completely different in its coloring. Ironically, this landscape is exactly where Japanese internment camps were set up. To look out at this land, knowing this fact, the idea of the many different rocks all appearing to look the same relates to the horizontal event. The rocks symbolize the Japanese people who were being interned just because of the way they looked. To the officers to put them there, Japanese were all the same. Yet, imagining myself looking out from a fenced in almost jail, this view shows at this piece at first glance, it seems so beautiful and calm and comfortable. Yet 50 years ago, those lens would be taking a picture of something much much different. Like the other tow photographs, "Mount Williamson" shows how things can appear so perfect, but end up showing something sad and distressful. From today, I learned a lot more about art. Because I am not much of an artist, I saw these pictures to be beautiful, but not have much a story behind it. Today I began to so deeper into the picture, seeing things that the camera could not do. I realized that many of his photographs show so much more than a pretty, comforting place. Ansel Adams If rugged individualism is the main characteristic of a typical American, then Ansel Adams fits perfectly into that description. Though most of the people we have studied in class were made legends for their action, Ansel is a legend because of his creations. Not only is his work amazingly perfect and beautiful, but it is also that which may only be completed by a true American. The reason why I believe that that is true, is because all of Ansel's photos contained American landscapes and/or ideals. My favorite photo of his that looked like an American landscape is called "Clearing Winter Storm". In the picture, there are trees, mountains, and a waterfall. All images which can be considered very peaceful, and western but most of all American. Alnsel's pictures are also taken straight from scenes in nature which is proof that he loved nature in a similar way to that of Thoreau. Some pictures show nature as an overwhelming and overpowering force, bigger than man, while others simply stand to show the many faces of nature that few are able to ever see and even fewer can ever comprehend. Another theme which stood out in Ansel's work besides nature, was the theme of Manifest Destiny and Expansion. In another one of my favorite photos taken by Ansel, are hills outlined in tall trees and there is a thick fog hovering over the land in the background. In the distance, the sky is clear and the sun in shining. To me, it seemed as though Ansel wanted to show the foreground as a dark, scary place and the background as the promised land. This was the same idea I got while looking at the "View from Manzanar" picture where the inside of the camp is rocky, symbolizing challenging times and obstacles. But again, the background has tall hills that seem to glow in the sunlight, as if that was the land given by God, every person's dreamland. Both of these pictures emphasize hope and promise as they one also uninhabited by humans, very untouched looking. Ansel's photography gives his viewers a feeling of awe. They have been created, each with a specific style to exhibit textures, shapes, tones, angels, spaces and volumes. Looking at these masterpieces up close, it become obvious that Ansel was a nature lover, a perfectionist, a unique individual with an unbelievable talent and a true American. A New Perspective of History After visiting the display of Ansel Adams' photographs it amazed me how many different ideas came from one piece of his work. Adams' pieces were unique because they forced you to use your own imagination. After seeing several of his seventy-five pieces, I realized that Adams' took his photographs from new perspectives, which is why they were incomparable. His work which held a common theme of nature and also displayed America during the early 1900's, created a new perspective and vision of life and history. Ansel Adams' seventy-five selected pieces of nature clearly held a connection to events which have occurred in history. His first piece of work which I saw was definitely one of the most differentiating pieces from the entire collection. This photograph entitled "Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada," was taken in California in 1945. The photograph, probably taken during the early morning, display's at first a perfect serene place, almost as if it were nonexistent. Immediately, the mountain in the background became the dominant feature in this photograph; to me, it represented an American, almighty and powerful. This "powerful" American was someone who represented and lived by the "American Way." Perhaps it could have been the American Government, or rather some powerful leader. When I found out that this photograph was taken of a Japanese Internment camp, I realized the effect nature had on life during the mid 1900's. For the Japanese, their lives were difficult; "The infamous decision of the government (in the time of feat and hysteria following Pearl Harbor) to transport American citizens of Japanese ancestry to several detention camps resulted in most severe hardships among the Japanese American population of the West Coast." A new image was then put in my head. The small rocks scattered everywhere just beneath and along the mountain, became people, they represented the Japanese, the minority. There were so many of them, and just one big powerful America. However, through it all, the Americans demonstrated selfishness, doing anything, taking away the Japanese's lives, in order to gain power. Overall, from my perspective, this photograph was deliberately taken to portray the unique relationship between a group of minorities and Americans. We have always lived by the "American Way," taking any step necessary for our own survival. I found this piece to be the most interesting out of all of Adams' work. The way that he took an incredibly devastating situation in American history and photographed a picture which resembled paradise, took talent, it took Adams'. From this photograph, it seems as if Adams' was trying to show how the Japanese, though nature, created a happier environment. The Americans, however, acted as selfish individuals, doing anything it took to get to the top. The "American Way," in this particular photograph forced the Japanese to use new ideas, and created a better lifestyle for themselves. From Adams' perspective, he wanted to show the accomplishments of the Japanese-Americans during the 1900's. How they took a horrible situation and nature, to create a serene, less chaotic situation; He recognized the Japanese attempt to use nature, America, to create a different life. Ignoring the powerful "American Way" was something the Japanese were able to do. Ansel Adams was someone who recognized this fact, and acknowledged such an accomplishment. Ansel Adams the American Photographer Ansel Adams was self taught, he dropped out of schooling system in the 8th grade, and from there he went on to become one of the most famous and recognizable artist in the world. He had a great way of using the sunlight and other things that make each picture unique so when you look at it you might not see any significance but when you look a little harder you see a lot. The best example of that was the picture of the old lady and the piece of wood in the background and how he was comparing her face to the wood. At first Ansel went along with society. He would blur his pictures to make them look like a painting because at that time period photography was not considered an art. Ansel Adams can be connected to many different people for many different things. On the more obvious note he can easily be connected to Thoreau because of his experiences in nature and his mediation process. He can also be connected to Thoreau because of how he went against society and dropped out of 8th grade against society's rules and went on to self educate himself to greatness. He can also be connected to propaganda and how his picture of the Japanese interment camp's outer terrain looked. What I mean by this is that in the Propaganda it looked like the camps were a nice neat place to live, while Ansel's picture shows what was on the outside of the camp that was land covered with large boulders and rocks-terrain very hard to escape from one of the camps. So in a way, Ansel's picture contradicts what the propaganda movie was trying to tell the people of America. Ansel's pictures can be considered the American Way in one main thing that I noticed in his pictures, and that is also the main terrain in America. That terrain is an example of how open we are literally and in our minds. We are not enclosed like a Rain Forest for example. His pictures are also examples of what diversity we have in terrain; we have deserts, Rocky Mountains, snow capped trees, beaches, forests, and waterfalls. These different terrains noted in each of his different pictures are an example of the diversity we have here in America. One picture sticks out in my mind and that is the one off the coast of California, it was a picture of the waves breaking on the coast. On the shore there is rough terrain of rocks and dirt, then there is the smooth almost silky part where the water has smoothed the sand out, then there is the actual ocean itself, which in my mind represents confusion. These different types of terrain represent what America is made up of with their terrain, their people, their way of life, and the NYSE. America is changing all the time. Ansel Adams cannot be considered a leader in my opinion, for the same reason why Michael Jordan cannot be considered a leader either. We talked about this in class, and the fact that you actually have to do something for society to benefit from in order to be looked upon as a leader in society today- in my opinion. |
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STUDENT PROJECTS New Canaan High |
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To view work by student, choose the link below... After visiting the museum, I found I had a great interest in analyzing Ansel Adam's photographs. The "tours" were helpful, along with the beginning background information. If I had to change one thing however, I would have given us more free time to analyze a particular photograph (either) drawing or writing about it. I would also probably have given us more time as a group to see and talk about more than just 3 or 4 photographs (to hear more of one another's ideas). -Thank you. Ansel Adams Assignment The photographs by Ansel Adams are very symbolic of many topics we have discussed throughout the year. The one that stood out the most to me was the idea of the American Way. One way to define the American Way would be a constant hope for the future. Many immigrants came to this country in search of a better opportunity than they had been previously given. This optimism has been instilled in our society. We as Americans are constantly preparing for our futures with high hopes of the best for ourselves. Ansel Adams' photographs had a strong emphasis on hope. There were few photographs of people in rough circumstances because he wanted to concentrate on people overcoming obstacles, not people taken down by them. He concentrated mainly on nature and landscapes. In each of these landscapes there were various sections of light and dark contrasts. In many various cases the dark sections are towards the bottom and they lead to the light at the top. One example was a photograph of the Japanese relocation camp at Manzanar. They were many large rocks towards the base which represented the obstacles that must be faced in order to reach the beautiful mountains in the distance. These mountains were illuminated and there was a clearing in the clouds. This was symbolic of the road to freedom the Japanese Americans had to travel. It was a light at the end of the tunnel and the hope of a better future. Another photograph that expressed this hope was the "Clearing Winter Storm". It was the good that comes after the bad. It symbolizes the fact that you need to suffer though bad times once in a while, but their will always be that hope of something better once the storm clears. Ansel Adams only photographed American scenes. He loved the American landscapes and the powerful aura they created. The peaceful and serene qualities of the endless deserts and the majestic fruits of the immense mountains. In many of the photographs of Ansel Adams' there is a sense of hope and beauty beyond the shadows. The American Way is to find a way to achieve a perfect future. There are many different ways to interpret how one would reach the "illuminate mountains", but it does not matter how one gets there. Everyone will take a different path, but they are all looking towards these same mountains. "Don't Judge a Book By its Cover" Through many of his photographs, the idea of similarities and equality, yet differences and individualism was illustrated. All of these landscapes we looked at today relate to an idea of groups and conformity. Like his photographs, everything and everyone can appear so tranquil, simple, happy, beautiful, and comforting. Yet by looking deeper into the minds of people or the photographs, there is difference, individualism and chaos. Relating to life issues and people, they appear just from the outside as happy and perfect, but deep inside there is anger, sadness and/or confusion. In the "Rose and Driftwood" photograph in San Francisco, I wrote (in my postcard) how this scene was so calm with no distraction and no problems. The rose, representing beauty, seemed so soft, tranquil and delicate. However, looking more and more at the romantic contrast in colors of the rose, I felt like the rose represented more sadness and loss for whoever left it there. In the next photograph, "Death Valley", I began to see more of these sharp contrasts that were hidden, likes those in the "Rose and Driftwood". The most significant part of this piece was that there were very smooth textured areas and rough areas, which intersected in a very sharp edge. This again gave me the feeling of a strong contrast. When first looking at the photograph it seemed plain and almost boring. Looking further into it, it came alive. The final photograph is "Mount Williamson" in Nevada. In the scene, there are millions of rocks leading up to mountains, etc. The technique again used in this picture is the millions of different grays. From a quick glance, the rocks are sort of mlurred away and the mountains draw the attention. However, for me, these rocks were the most significant part of the scenery. Of these many rocks, they look all the same, yet everyone is completely different in its coloring. Ironically, this landscape is exactly where Japanese internment camps were set up. To look out at this land, knowing this fact, the idea of the many different rocks all appearing to look the same relates to the horizontal event. The rocks symbolize the Japanese people who were being interned just because of the way they looked. To the officers to put them there, Japanese were all the same. Yet, imagining myself looking out from a fenced in almost jail, this view shows at this piece at first glance, it seems so beautiful and calm and comfortable. Yet 50 years ago, those lens would be taking a picture of something much much different. Like the other tow photographs, "Mount Williamson" shows how things can appear so perfect, but end up showing something sad and distressful. From today, I learned a lot more about art. Because I am not much of an artist, I saw these pictures to be beautiful, but not have much a story behind it. Today I began to so deeper into the picture, seeing things that the camera could not do. I realized that many of his photographs show so much more than a pretty, comforting place. Ansel Adams If rugged individualism is the main characteristic of a typical American, then Ansel Adams fits perfectly into that description. Though most of the people we have studied in class were made legends for their action, Ansel is a legend because of his creations. Not only is his work amazingly perfect and beautiful, but it is also that which may only be completed by a true American. The reason why I believe that that is true, is because all of Ansel's photos contained American landscapes and/or ideals. My favorite photo of his that looked like an American landscape is called "Clearing Winter Storm". In the picture, there are trees, mountains, and a waterfall. All images which can be considered very peaceful, and western but most of all American. Alnsel's pictures are also taken straight from scenes in nature which is proof that he loved nature in a similar way to that of Thoreau. Some pictures show nature as an overwhelming and overpowering force, bigger than man, while others simply stand to show the many faces of nature that few are able to ever see and even fewer can ever comprehend. Another theme which stood out in Ansel's work besides nature, was the theme of Manifest Destiny and Expansion. In another one of my favorite photos taken by Ansel, are hills outlined in tall trees and there is a thick fog hovering over the land in the background. In the distance, the sky is clear and the sun in shining. To me, it seemed as though Ansel wanted to show the foreground as a dark, scary place and the background as the promised land. This was the same idea I got while looking at the "View from Manzanar" picture where the inside of the camp is rocky, symbolizing challenging times and obstacles. But again, the background has tall hills that seem to glow in the sunlight, as if that was the land given by God, every person's dreamland. Both of these pictures emphasize hope and promise as they one also uninhabited by humans, very untouched looking. Ansel's photography gives his viewers a feeling of awe. They have been created, each with a specific style to exhibit textures, shapes, tones, angels, spaces and volumes. Looking at these masterpieces up close, it become obvious that Ansel was a nature lover, a perfectionist, a unique individual with an unbelievable talent and a true American. A New Perspective of History After visiting the display of Ansel Adams' photographs it amazed me how many different ideas came from one piece of his work. Adams' pieces were unique because they forced you to use your own imagination. After seeing several of his seventy-five pieces, I realized that Adams' took his photographs from new perspectives, which is why they were incomparable. His work which held a common theme of nature and also displayed America during the early 1900's, created a new perspective and vision of life and history. Ansel Adams' seventy-five selected pieces of nature clearly held a connection to events which have occurred in history. His first piece of work which I saw was definitely one of the most differentiating pieces from the entire collection. This photograph entitled "Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada," was taken in California in 1945. The photograph, probably taken during the early morning, display's at first a perfect serene place, almost as if it were nonexistent. Immediately, the mountain in the background became the dominant feature in this photograph; to me, it represented an American, almighty and powerful. This "powerful" American was someone who represented and lived by the "American Way." Perhaps it could have been the American Government, or rather some powerful leader. When I found out that this photograph was taken of a Japanese Internment camp, I realized the effect nature had on life during the mid 1900's. For the Japanese, their lives were difficult; "The infamous decision of the government (in the time of feat and hysteria following Pearl Harbor) to transport American citizens of Japanese ancestry to several detention camps resulted in most severe hardships among the Japanese American population of the West Coast." A new image was then put in my head. The small rocks scattered everywhere just beneath and along the mountain, became people, they represented the Japanese, the minority. There were so many of them, and just one big powerful America. However, through it all, the Americans demonstrated selfishness, doing anything, taking away the Japanese's lives, in order to gain power. Overall, from my perspective, this photograph was deliberately taken to portray the unique relationship between a group of minorities and Americans. We have always lived by the "American Way," taking any step necessary for our own survival. I found this piece to be the most interesting out of all of Adams' work. The way that he took an incredibly devastating situation in American history and photographed a picture which resembled paradise, took talent, it took Adams'. From this photograph, it seems as if Adams' was trying to show how the Japanese, though nature, created a happier environment. The Americans, however, acted as selfish individuals, doing anything it took to get to the top. The "American Way," in this particular photograph forced the Japanese to use new ideas, and created a better lifestyle for themselves. From Adams' perspective, he wanted to show the accomplishments of the Japanese-Americans during the 1900's. How they took a horrible situation and nature, to create a serene, less chaotic situation; He recognized the Japanese attempt to use nature, America, to create a different life. Ignoring the powerful "American Way" was something the Japanese were able to do. Ansel Adams was someone who recognized this fact, and acknowledged such an accomplishment. Ansel Adams the American Photographer Ansel Adams was self taught, he dropped out of schooling system in the 8th grade, and from there he went on to become one of the most famous and recognizable artist in the world. He had a great way of using the sunlight and other things that make each picture unique so when you look at it you might not see any significance but when you look a little harder you see a lot. The best example of that was the picture of the old lady and the piece of wood in the background and how he was comparing her face to the wood. At first Ansel went along with society. He would blur his pictures to make them look like a painting because at that time period photography was not considered an art. Ansel Adams can be connected to many different people for many different things. On the more obvious note he can easily be connected to Thoreau because of his experiences in nature and his mediation process. He can also be connected to Thoreau because of how he went against society and dropped out of 8th grade against society's rules and went on to self educate himself to greatness. He can also be connected to propaganda and how his picture of the Japanese interment camp's outer terrain looked. What I mean by this is that in the Propaganda it looked like the camps were a nice neat place to live, while Ansel's picture shows what was on the outside of the camp that was land covered with large boulders and rocks-terrain very hard to escape from one of the camps. So in a way, Ansel's picture contradicts what the propaganda movie was trying to tell the people of America. Ansel's pictures can be considered the American Way in one main thing that I noticed in his pictures, and that is also the main terrain in America. That terrain is an example of how open we are literally and in our minds. We are not enclosed like a Rain Forest for example. His pictures are also examples of what diversity we have in terrain; we have deserts, Rocky Mountains, snow capped trees, beaches, forests, and waterfalls. These different terrains noted in each of his different pictures are an example of the diversity we have here in America. One picture sticks out in my mind and that is the one off the coast of California, it was a picture of the waves breaking on the coast. On the shore there is rough terrain of rocks and dirt, then there is the smooth almost silky part where the water has smoothed the sand out, then there is the actual ocean itself, which in my mind represents confusion. These different types of terrain represent what America is made up of with their terrain, their people, their way of life, and the NYSE. America is changing all the time. Ansel Adams cannot be considered a leader in my opinion, for the same reason why Michael Jordan cannot be considered a leader either. We talked about this in class, and the fact that you actually have to do something for society to benefit from in order to be looked upon as a leader in society today- in my opinion. |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Peck Place School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
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STUDENT PROJECTS Peck Place School |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Platt Regional Technical Vocational School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... Writing Prompt: If the picture could talk, what would it say? Trailer Camp Children: I would call them, James, Sam and Andy. Mary is four, Anne 2 and John 12. Their expression is scared. They
look like they're Write a four-line poem... Mountain Isolated Clouds Storm Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Mt. Williamson, from Manzanar I have no where to go. All around me are rocks. It's hot. I can't
walk anymore. The rocks It is very rocky here, very dry and hostile. Rocks everywhere. Fields
of boulders for There is bitter-sweet beauty. The sun comes up bringing with it false
new hope for the Stuck. Surrounded by heavy objects so large that it's difficult to
walk. Desire to walk Beautiful day. I feel small and big at the same time. Ray of sunlight
cutting through the Endless valley |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Platt Regional Technical Vocational School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... Writing Prompt: If the picture could talk, what would it say? Trailer Camp Children: I would call them, James, Sam and Andy. Mary is four, Anne 2 and John 12. Their expression is scared. They
look like they're Write a four-line poem... Mountain Isolated Clouds Storm Writing prompt: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you sense? Mt. Williamson, from Manzanar I have no where to go. All around me are rocks. It's hot. I can't
walk anymore. The rocks It is very rocky here, very dry and hostile. Rocks everywhere. Fields
of boulders for There is bitter-sweet beauty. The sun comes up bringing with it false
new hope for the Stuck. Surrounded by heavy objects so large that it's difficult to
walk. Desire to walk Beautiful day. I feel small and big at the same time. Ray of sunlight
cutting through the Endless valley |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Read School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... 7TH GRADE Write a poem from one of the scenes... I hustle when the rain is falling Tall Building Sky Pure Beauty (Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite) Here is a church in the west abandoned by the east but God and Jesus
haven't given up. |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Read School |
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To view work by student, choose the link below...
Student writing inspired by viewing the Ansel Adams exhibit... 7TH GRADE Write a poem from one of the scenes... I hustle when the rain is falling Tall Building Sky Pure Beauty (Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite) Here is a church in the west abandoned by the east but God and Jesus
haven't given up. |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Middle School Talented and Gifted Students From Oxford and Derby |
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To view work by student, choose the link below... GRADES 8 - 12
Writing Prompt: What do you observe in the photograph and
how does it make you Trailer Camp Children The children look sad and lonely. They look as though they live in
poverty. The oldest boy looks to be the provider and protector of
the younger children. The older children almost seem to be ashamed
of the state they were living in. The baby doesn't know any better
so he's looking at the camera. It looks like these children are awestruck by something. Whatever
light is illuminating their terrified faces provides no protection
or distraction from what they have seen. The emotional faces are the
focus of the picture but the background is black and irrelevant. Prompt: Write a Diamante Poem Ghost down Void Prompt: Write a postcard from this scene. Mt. Williamson From Manzanar I am looking over a vast plain of rocks with a gorgeous mountain
in the background. It makes me see that we are all of different shapes,
skies and colors. We all, however are all stretching out toward a
common goal the pinnacle of success We are called different yet we
are also the same. Rays of light illuminate the triangular fog filled mountains. A rock
quarry surrounds me. All of the shiny marble rocks appear monolithic
beside me. The heavens look as if they were crying their joy upon
this very area. The mountains look like pyramids, ancient structures. Prompt: Write about what moves you Buddhist Graves Silver is not just a stone |
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STUDENT PROJECTS Middle School Talented and Gifted Students From Oxford and Derby |
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To view work by student, choose the link below... GRADES 8 - 12
Writing Prompt: What do you observe in the photograph and
how does it make you Trailer Camp Children The children look sad and lonely. They look as though they live in
poverty. The oldest boy looks to be the provider and protector of
the younger children. The older children almost seem to be ashamed
of the state they were living in. The baby doesn't know any better
so he's looking at the camera. It looks like these children are awestruck by something. Whatever
light is illuminating their terrified faces provides no protection
or distraction from what they have seen. The emotional faces are the
focus of the picture but the background is black and irrelevant. Prompt: Write a Diamante Poem Ghost down Void Prompt: Write a postcard from this scene. Mt. Williamson From Manzanar I am looking over a vast plain of rocks with a gorgeous mountain
in the background. It makes me see that we are all of different shapes,
skies and colors. We all, however are all stretching out toward a
common goal the pinnacle of success We are called different yet we
are also the same. Rays of light illuminate the triangular fog filled mountains. A rock
quarry surrounds me. All of the shiny marble rocks appear monolithic
beside me. The heavens look as if they were crying their joy upon
this very area. The mountains look like pyramids, ancient structures. Prompt: Write about what moves you Buddhist Graves Silver is not just a stone |
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite National
Park, California, 1927
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Plate 2 in Ansel Adams - Classic Images Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 2-4 A. How did Adams arrive at taking this photograph? A. How did Adams arrive at taking this photograph? When Adams was twenty-five and weighed 125 pounds he spent a day climbing with friends and his fiancee, Virginia. He carried a great deal of photographic equipment. "Those were the days when I could climb thousands of feet with a heavy pack and think nothing of it….nothing daunted us." When about noon they finally reached a view of Half Dome, it was in
full shadow. Adams describes it in Elements as a "wondrous
place… a great shelf of granite, slightly overhanging, and nearly
4000 feet above its base…the most exciting subject awaiting me."
But he had already used or ruined nine of the twelve plates he carried
that day. "In early mid-afternoon, while the sun was creeping upon
it, I set up and composed my image…I did not have much space to
move about in: an abyss was on my left, rocks and brush on my right."
B. How did Adams visualize Monolith? What he saw was "the majesty of the sculptural shape of the Dome in the solemn effect of half sunlight and half shadow." After taking the shot he realized that what he saw in his mind's eye would not be properly conveyed with the yellow filter he used. Now he had only one plate left. It had to work. "I saw the photograph as a brooding form, with deep shadows and
a distant sharp white peak against a dark sky." He realized that
the only way to achieve this visualization was to use a deep red filter.
Since the red filter reduced the light by a factor of 16, to allow enough
light to hit the negative he had to keep the shutter open for a 5 seconds.
"Fortunately there was no wind to disturb the camera during the
long exposure." C. Was Monolith significant to Adams' "visualization" theory? On this day in the early part of his career, Adams began to develop
the theory of "visualization" that led to the Zone system.
"This photograph represents my first conscious visualization; in
my mind's eye I saw (with reasonable completeness) the final image as
made with the red filter…The red filter did what I expected it
to do." His knowledge of filters allowed him to produce a negative
in which the sky is dark, creating the dramatic effect that corresponded
with his feeling about the scene. D. How was his visualization carried out in the dark room? Adams said he was able to "apply the numerous controls of the
craft in precise ways that contribute to achieving the desired result."
Adams continues to explain in Elements, "I can still recall
the excitement of seeing the visualization 'come true' when I removed
the plate from the fixing bath for examination. The desired values were
all there in their beautiful negative interpretation. This was one of
the most exciting moments of my photographic career." E. Did Adams almost lose the negative of Monolith in a fire? Adams suffered a serious loss of his work in a darkroom fire in1937.
He and a couple of friends with whom he had just returned from a hiking
trip south of Yosemite, managed to save a good number, but many early
images were burned. They spent several days washing and drying the salvaged
ones. In Examples Adams describes, "The negative of Monolith
was slightly damaged on the top and left-hand edge, and it was necessary
to trim off about 1/4 inch from each…The negative is still printable…and
is especially effective in a very large (40 X 50 inch) print."
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite National
Park, California, 1927
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Plate 2 in Ansel Adams - Classic Images Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 2-4 A. How did Adams arrive at taking this photograph? A. How did Adams arrive at taking this photograph? When Adams was twenty-five and weighed 125 pounds he spent a day climbing with friends and his fiancee, Virginia. He carried a great deal of photographic equipment. "Those were the days when I could climb thousands of feet with a heavy pack and think nothing of it….nothing daunted us." When about noon they finally reached a view of Half Dome, it was in
full shadow. Adams describes it in Elements as a "wondrous
place… a great shelf of granite, slightly overhanging, and nearly
4000 feet above its base…the most exciting subject awaiting me."
But he had already used or ruined nine of the twelve plates he carried
that day. "In early mid-afternoon, while the sun was creeping upon
it, I set up and composed my image…I did not have much space to
move about in: an abyss was on my left, rocks and brush on my right."
B. How did Adams visualize Monolith? What he saw was "the majesty of the sculptural shape of the Dome in the solemn effect of half sunlight and half shadow." After taking the shot he realized that what he saw in his mind's eye would not be properly conveyed with the yellow filter he used. Now he had only one plate left. It had to work. "I saw the photograph as a brooding form, with deep shadows and
a distant sharp white peak against a dark sky." He realized that
the only way to achieve this visualization was to use a deep red filter.
Since the red filter reduced the light by a factor of 16, to allow enough
light to hit the negative he had to keep the shutter open for a 5 seconds.
"Fortunately there was no wind to disturb the camera during the
long exposure." C. Was Monolith significant to Adams' "visualization" theory? On this day in the early part of his career, Adams began to develop
the theory of "visualization" that led to the Zone system.
"This photograph represents my first conscious visualization; in
my mind's eye I saw (with reasonable completeness) the final image as
made with the red filter…The red filter did what I expected it
to do." His knowledge of filters allowed him to produce a negative
in which the sky is dark, creating the dramatic effect that corresponded
with his feeling about the scene. D. How was his visualization carried out in the dark room? Adams said he was able to "apply the numerous controls of the
craft in precise ways that contribute to achieving the desired result."
Adams continues to explain in Elements, "I can still recall
the excitement of seeing the visualization 'come true' when I removed
the plate from the fixing bath for examination. The desired values were
all there in their beautiful negative interpretation. This was one of
the most exciting moments of my photographic career." E. Did Adams almost lose the negative of Monolith in a fire? Adams suffered a serious loss of his work in a darkroom fire in1937.
He and a couple of friends with whom he had just returned from a hiking
trip south of Yosemite, managed to save a good number, but many early
images were burned. They spent several days washing and drying the salvaged
ones. In Examples Adams describes, "The negative of Monolith
was slightly damaged on the top and left-hand edge, and it was necessary
to trim off about 1/4 inch from each…The negative is still printable…and
is especially effective in a very large (40 X 50 inch) print."
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, c. 1929
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Plate 32 in Ansel Adams - Classic Images Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 90-93 A. What impressed Adams about this
structure? A. What impressed Adams about this structure? B. Why was this church included in his book Taos Pueblo? C. What role did intuition play in this photograph and other by
Adams? D. How did Adams achieve such extraordinary luminosity? E. Did Adams follow archival procedures? F. Technical Aspects
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, c. 1929
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Plate 32 in Ansel Adams - Classic Images Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 90-93 A. What impressed Adams about this
structure? A. What impressed Adams about this structure? B. Why was this church included in his book Taos Pueblo? C. What role did intuition play in this photograph and other by
Adams? D. How did Adams achieve such extraordinary luminosity? E. Did Adams follow archival procedures? F. Technical Aspects
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Frozen Lake and Cliffs, The Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park, California, 1932
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Frozen Lake and Cliffs, The Sierra Nevada,
Sequoia National Park, California, 1932 Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 11-13 A. What do you observe? This image is a striking organization of contrasting shapes, textures
and values. The smooth reflecting water contrasts with the craggy cliff;
the white floating ice and the black lake form a calm horizontal against
the tense vertical of the abruptly rising gray rocks. The irregularly
shaped mound of snow acts as a visual buffer. Adams used these elements
of art - shape, texture, and value - to create a composition that, although
of a recognizable subject, could be termed abstract. B. Does the scene strike you the same as it did Ansel Adams? Are the looming cliffs, extreme cold and isolation threatening? Or
are other feelings aroused, such as wonder and curiosity? Does the photograph
stir any association or memories? Adams said in Examples, "…I
believe I was able to express in this photograph the monumental qualities
of the subject that I responded to so intensely at first sight."
He asked himself the question, "why do I see certain events in
the world about me that others do not see?" There were several
good photographers nearby, and "the scene was before us all, but
no one else responded with creative interest…With all art expression,
when something is seen, it is a vivid experience, sudden, compelling
and inevitable." The visualization is "called forth by some
miracle of the mind-computer," not consciously, but is "a
summation of total experience and instinct.". C. How did Adams arrive at taking this photograph? On a hiking outing with the Sierra Club, in the most spectacular region
of the Sierra, he came across this scene at what was later given the
descriptive name of Precipice Lake, which lies at the base of Eagle
Scout Peak. "The lake was partially frozen and snow banks rested
in the recesses of the cliffs. I was impressed with the solemn beauty
of the scene and saw the image quite clearly in my mind." D. How did the philosophy of Group f/64 affect his vision? Adams joined with Edward Weston and other like-minded photographers who were disgusted with pictorialism, which they thought was soft-focused, romantic and sentimental and imitative of other media such as painting and drawing. They promoted straight" or "pure" photography, which they defined in their manifesto as photography that did not derive from any other art form, but must "develop along lines defined by the actualities and limitations of the photographic medium…" James Alinder, in Ansel Adams - Classic Images, wrote that for Adams, Group/64 provided a unity of thought and style, and "proposed methods that would produce images with the most distinctively photographic characteristics." They used large 8X 10" negatives, lenses that gave extreme optical sharpness, and contact prints with a full tonal range. Adams' work underwent change. Adams took the group's convention of doing close-up views, and transferred it to landscape, his preferred subject, in Frozen Lake and Cliffs. Alinder observes, "Without a defining horizon, the frame filled with fragmented granite shapes takes on a new sense of abstraction." Did Adams himself see this photograph as "abstract?' He says in
Examples, "I was not conscious of any such definition at the time.
I prefer the term extract over abstract, since I cannot change the optical
realities but only manage them…For photographic compositions I
think in terms of creating configurations out of chaos, rather than
following any conventional rules of composition." E. What problems did he face in the years before he developed the Zone System? Adams describes in Examples how "the deeply shadowed recesses
of the cliffs contrasted with the blinding sunlit snow" and taxed
his "intuition and the range of the film as well." The ice
of the lake was glaring. He had not yet developed his Zone system, and
couldn't precisely measure the luminance. He made an educated guess
and "hoped for the best." He said he was "fortunate"
in his results in these years of his "technical insufficiencies."
After he developed the "Zone System, the guesswork was removed
from unfamiliar situations, and good control of results became possible." F. Technical Aspects Frozen Lake and Cliffs was taken early in his career when Adams said he "did not yet have the necessary craft to relate exposure and development precisely for optimum results." He had not yet developed the well-known Zone system. The negative is degraded from being developed in exhausted developer, which makes it "very difficult to print." It requires considerable craft in burning in areas to balance the tones. "Making the print involves the use of many controls and trials to obtain results that approximate what I saw and felt when I made the exposure."
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Frozen Lake and Cliffs, The Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park, California, 1932
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
|
|
|
Frozen Lake and Cliffs, The Sierra Nevada,
Sequoia National Park, California, 1932 Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 11-13 A. What do you observe? This image is a striking organization of contrasting shapes, textures
and values. The smooth reflecting water contrasts with the craggy cliff;
the white floating ice and the black lake form a calm horizontal against
the tense vertical of the abruptly rising gray rocks. The irregularly
shaped mound of snow acts as a visual buffer. Adams used these elements
of art - shape, texture, and value - to create a composition that, although
of a recognizable subject, could be termed abstract. B. Does the scene strike you the same as it did Ansel Adams? Are the looming cliffs, extreme cold and isolation threatening? Or
are other feelings aroused, such as wonder and curiosity? Does the photograph
stir any association or memories? Adams said in Examples, "…I
believe I was able to express in this photograph the monumental qualities
of the subject that I responded to so intensely at first sight."
He asked himself the question, "why do I see certain events in
the world about me that others do not see?" There were several
good photographers nearby, and "the scene was before us all, but
no one else responded with creative interest…With all art expression,
when something is seen, it is a vivid experience, sudden, compelling
and inevitable." The visualization is "called forth by some
miracle of the mind-computer," not consciously, but is "a
summation of total experience and instinct.". C. How did Adams arrive at taking this photograph? On a hiking outing with the Sierra Club, in the most spectacular region
of the Sierra, he came across this scene at what was later given the
descriptive name of Precipice Lake, which lies at the base of Eagle
Scout Peak. "The lake was partially frozen and snow banks rested
in the recesses of the cliffs. I was impressed with the solemn beauty
of the scene and saw the image quite clearly in my mind." D. How did the philosophy of Group f/64 affect his vision? Adams joined with Edward Weston and other like-minded photographers who were disgusted with pictorialism, which they thought was soft-focused, romantic and sentimental and imitative of other media such as painting and drawing. They promoted straight" or "pure" photography, which they defined in their manifesto as photography that did not derive from any other art form, but must "develop along lines defined by the actualities and limitations of the photographic medium…" James Alinder, in Ansel Adams - Classic Images, wrote that for Adams, Group/64 provided a unity of thought and style, and "proposed methods that would produce images with the most distinctively photographic characteristics." They used large 8X 10" negatives, lenses that gave extreme optical sharpness, and contact prints with a full tonal range. Adams' work underwent change. Adams took the group's convention of doing close-up views, and transferred it to landscape, his preferred subject, in Frozen Lake and Cliffs. Alinder observes, "Without a defining horizon, the frame filled with fragmented granite shapes takes on a new sense of abstraction." Did Adams himself see this photograph as "abstract?' He says in
Examples, "I was not conscious of any such definition at the time.
I prefer the term extract over abstract, since I cannot change the optical
realities but only manage them…For photographic compositions I
think in terms of creating configurations out of chaos, rather than
following any conventional rules of composition." E. What problems did he face in the years before he developed the Zone System? Adams describes in Examples how "the deeply shadowed recesses
of the cliffs contrasted with the blinding sunlit snow" and taxed
his "intuition and the range of the film as well." The ice
of the lake was glaring. He had not yet developed his Zone system, and
couldn't precisely measure the luminance. He made an educated guess
and "hoped for the best." He said he was "fortunate"
in his results in these years of his "technical insufficiencies."
After he developed the "Zone System, the guesswork was removed
from unfamiliar situations, and good control of results became possible." F. Technical Aspects Frozen Lake and Cliffs was taken early in his career when Adams said he "did not yet have the necessary craft to relate exposure and development precisely for optimum results." He had not yet developed the well-known Zone system. The negative is degraded from being developed in exhausted developer, which makes it "very difficult to print." It requires considerable craft in burning in areas to balance the tones. "Making the print involves the use of many controls and trials to obtain results that approximate what I saw and felt when I made the exposure."
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Dogwood, Yosemite National Park, California, 1938
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use
of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Dogwood, Yosemite National Park, California,
1938 Sources: Ansel Adams- An Autobiography; and Ansel Adams - Classic Images, and Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, p 113 (on close-ups in general). Please see Bibliography. A. Why did Adams take close-ups of nature? A. Why did Adams take close-ups of nature? B. Does the poet Whitman share Adams' love of details? "These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles, C. Were his close-ups appreciated by others? Adams was disturbed by this attitude even among some close acquaintances.
They could see a "grand vision in a photograph of a mountain",
for instance, but not in fragments or details of nature. Adams says
that to them, "A close-up composition of a pinecone" was "simply
not as important as a whole tree." D. Is the subject dominant in photography? E. What's the difference between taking close-ups in the studio
or in nature? F. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Dogwood, Yosemite National Park, California, 1938
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use
of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Dogwood, Yosemite National Park, California,
1938 Sources: Ansel Adams- An Autobiography; and Ansel Adams - Classic Images, and Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, p 113 (on close-ups in general). Please see Bibliography. A. Why did Adams take close-ups of nature? A. Why did Adams take close-ups of nature? B. Does the poet Whitman share Adams' love of details? "These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles, C. Were his close-ups appreciated by others? Adams was disturbed by this attitude even among some close acquaintances.
They could see a "grand vision in a photograph of a mountain",
for instance, but not in fragments or details of nature. Adams says
that to them, "A close-up composition of a pinecone" was "simply
not as important as a whole tree." D. Is the subject dominant in photography? E. What's the difference between taking close-ups in the studio
or in nature? F. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument,
California, c. 1948
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web site.
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Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National
Monument, California, c. 1948 A. What did Adams see when he arrived to take the shot? B. How and why did Adams photograph Sand Dunes at sunrise? C. Why do you think photographers find deserts a difficult subject? D. What does it mean to "visualize" the photograph in the mind's eye? E. Why is Sand Dunes a photograph sometimes termed abstract? F. Technical Aspects G. Related links in this site A. What did Adams see when he arrived to take the shot? B. How and why did Adams photograph Sand Dunes at sunrise? C. Why do you think photographers find deserts a difficult subject? D. What does it mean to "visualize" the photograph in
the mind's eye? Does the human eye or the camera capture a truer picture? According
to Adams, the eye actually "perceives great luminosity and texture"
in shadows in deserts. Through the limitations of the camera apparatus,
shadows appear almost solid black which is "visually untrue. E. Why is Sand Dunes a photograph sometimes termed abstract? F. Technical Aspects
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument,
California, c. 1948
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web site.
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Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National
Monument, California, c. 1948 A. What did Adams see when he arrived to take the shot? B. How and why did Adams photograph Sand Dunes at sunrise? C. Why do you think photographers find deserts a difficult subject? D. What does it mean to "visualize" the photograph in the mind's eye? E. Why is Sand Dunes a photograph sometimes termed abstract? F. Technical Aspects G. Related links in this site A. What did Adams see when he arrived to take the shot? B. How and why did Adams photograph Sand Dunes at sunrise? C. Why do you think photographers find deserts a difficult subject? D. What does it mean to "visualize" the photograph in
the mind's eye? Does the human eye or the camera capture a truer picture? According
to Adams, the eye actually "perceives great luminosity and texture"
in shadows in deserts. Through the limitations of the camera apparatus,
shadows appear almost solid black which is "visually untrue. E. Why is Sand Dunes a photograph sometimes termed abstract? F. Technical Aspects
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Surf Sequence 4, San Mateo County Coast, California,
c.1940
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of
the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Surf Sequence 4, San Mateo County Coast, California,
c.1940 A. How did Adams arrive at taking Surf Sequence? A. How did Adams arrive at taking Surf Sequence? B. Why is Surf Sequence significant? C. What special problems and opportunities did the subject bring? D. What difficulties were presented during printing? E. How did Adams meet the darkroom challenges? F. Technical Aspects
To correct for darkroom difficulties, if he were to retake the photograph he would use:
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Surf Sequence 4, San Mateo County Coast, California,
c.1940
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of
the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Surf Sequence 4, San Mateo County Coast, California,
c.1940 A. How did Adams arrive at taking Surf Sequence? A. How did Adams arrive at taking Surf Sequence? B. Why is Surf Sequence significant? C. What special problems and opportunities did the subject bring? D. What difficulties were presented during printing? E. How did Adams meet the darkroom challenges? F. Technical Aspects
To correct for darkroom difficulties, if he were to retake the photograph he would use:
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 41-43 A. Why do you think this is the most famous photograph
by Ansel Adams? A. Why do you think this is the most famous photograph
by Ansel Adams? Do you notice how the photograph is divided according to the "Rule
of Thirds?" Moonrise is "certainly my most popular single image", said Adams. It "combined serendipity and immediate technical recall." Serendipity means lucky chance. He "felt at the time it was an exceptional image" and when he took it, he felt "an almost prophetic sense of satisfaction." Are photographs sold like paintings? What value do they have? There
are patrons and collectors of photographs as well as for other fine
arts. Ansel Adams was lucky to have attracted many influential and wealthy
people who financed the production of the portfolios of his work, who
arranged for exhibitions, and who purchased his work. When he was a
young creative photographer, his original prints sold for $10, and in
the 1960s for $50 - $100. The price for a print of Moonrise in
the early 1970s was $500. Then the value of the creative photographs
of Ansel Adams skyrocketed. At an auction in 1981, the sale of Moonrise
set a record price for a photograph - $71,500! B. How did chance lead him to take this photograph? C. How did scientific analysis of the moon help Adams date this
photograph? D. How important is "the moment" in photography? E. Once the photograph is taken, is the development and printing
a mechanical process? F. Technical Aspects
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 Main Source: Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams, pp 41-43 A. Why do you think this is the most famous photograph
by Ansel Adams? A. Why do you think this is the most famous photograph
by Ansel Adams? Do you notice how the photograph is divided according to the "Rule
of Thirds?" Moonrise is "certainly my most popular single image", said Adams. It "combined serendipity and immediate technical recall." Serendipity means lucky chance. He "felt at the time it was an exceptional image" and when he took it, he felt "an almost prophetic sense of satisfaction." Are photographs sold like paintings? What value do they have? There
are patrons and collectors of photographs as well as for other fine
arts. Ansel Adams was lucky to have attracted many influential and wealthy
people who financed the production of the portfolios of his work, who
arranged for exhibitions, and who purchased his work. When he was a
young creative photographer, his original prints sold for $10, and in
the 1960s for $50 - $100. The price for a print of Moonrise in
the early 1970s was $500. Then the value of the creative photographs
of Ansel Adams skyrocketed. At an auction in 1981, the sale of Moonrise
set a record price for a photograph - $71,500! B. How did chance lead him to take this photograph? C. How did scientific analysis of the moon help Adams date this
photograph? D. How important is "the moment" in photography? E. Once the photograph is taken, is the development and printing
a mechanical process? F. Technical Aspects
G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Trailer Camp Children, Richmond, California,
1944
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of
the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Trailer Camp Children, Richmond, California,
1944 A. What Do You See in This Photograph? B. Did Adams often Take Photographs Like This? C. Why Did Adams take Documentary Photography? D. Is Trailer Camp Children Art? E. What Was His Most Well-Known Documentary? F. Did Adams Dislike Documentary Photography? G. Related links in this site A. What Do You See in This Photograph?
B. Did Adams often Take Photographs Like This?
C. Why Did Adams take Documentary Photography? D. Is Trailer Camp Children Art? E. What Was His Most Well-Known Documentary? F. Did Adams Dislike Documentary Photography? G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Trailer Camp Children, Richmond, California,
1944
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of
the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Trailer Camp Children, Richmond, California,
1944 A. What Do You See in This Photograph? B. Did Adams often Take Photographs Like This? C. Why Did Adams take Documentary Photography? D. Is Trailer Camp Children Art? E. What Was His Most Well-Known Documentary? F. Did Adams Dislike Documentary Photography? G. Related links in this site A. What Do You See in This Photograph?
B. Did Adams often Take Photographs Like This?
C. Why Did Adams take Documentary Photography? D. Is Trailer Camp Children Art? E. What Was His Most Well-Known Documentary? F. Did Adams Dislike Documentary Photography? G. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar,
California, 1945
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar,
California, 1945 A. Did you know that during World War II, the American
government set up a detention center for Japanese Americans? A. Did you know that during World War II, the American government
set up a detention center for Japanese Americans? B. Do you think nature has the power to inspire the imprisoned? C. What time of day and weather conditions did Adams prefer? "It is difficult to photograph on the ordinary bright, clear desert
days, as the value of the rock may blend with that of the sky. But in
days of storm it is magnificent, especially under the thunderstorms
of summer…The huge clouds and curtains of rain over the summits
are spectacular." D. Do you think Adams merely recorded the scene with a mechanical
device (the camera)? If not, what artistic decisions did he make? "Several times I moved the car a few feet to position the camera
precisely for the composition of boulders and peaks." A problem
with photographing mountains, is that "the granite and metamorphic
rock blends gently with the near-horizon sky". Such conditions
are "usually disappointing in black-and-white, and "cry for
near-far composition of significant foreground, with the mountains relegated
to non-dominant proportions in the image." He said he made several
negatives of this scene. "In all but one the cloud positions and
the lighting on the mountains were not satisfactory and the negatives
were discarded." E. Technical Aspects
F. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar,
California, 1945
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing
Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The
use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this
web site.
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Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar,
California, 1945 A. Did you know that during World War II, the American
government set up a detention center for Japanese Americans? A. Did you know that during World War II, the American government
set up a detention center for Japanese Americans? B. Do you think nature has the power to inspire the imprisoned? C. What time of day and weather conditions did Adams prefer? "It is difficult to photograph on the ordinary bright, clear desert
days, as the value of the rock may blend with that of the sky. But in
days of storm it is magnificent, especially under the thunderstorms
of summer…The huge clouds and curtains of rain over the summits
are spectacular." D. Do you think Adams merely recorded the scene with a mechanical
device (the camera)? If not, what artistic decisions did he make? "Several times I moved the car a few feet to position the camera
precisely for the composition of boulders and peaks." A problem
with photographing mountains, is that "the granite and metamorphic
rock blends gently with the near-horizon sky". Such conditions
are "usually disappointing in black-and-white, and "cry for
near-far composition of significant foreground, with the mountains relegated
to non-dominant proportions in the image." He said he made several
negatives of this scene. "In all but one the cloud positions and
the lighting on the mountains were not satisfactory and the negatives
were discarded." E. Technical Aspects
F. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley, California,
c. 1948
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of
the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley, California,
c. 1948 A. What drew Ansel Adams to the Yosemite Valley? A. What drew Ansel Adams to the Yosemite Valley?
B. How did Ansel Adams Persuade Presidents to Preserve the Environment? Adams was a man full of passionate conviction for the environment and
tried to effect change in any way possible from photographs to publications
to personal persuasion. He met with many government officials in power,
including Presidents Gerald Ford, and President Jimmy Carter, who presented
Adams with a the National Medal of Freedom in 1980. He reluctantly met
in 1983 with President Ronald Reagan who Adams believed "had little
or no personal interest in the environment or its protection."
He considered his Secretary of the Interior, James Watt, "one of
the most dangerous government officials in history." The near hour
he spent with Reagan was filled with tension and his criticism of the
Reagan administration as reported in the Washington Post the next morning,
"was reproduced world-wide, not without effect." C. How else was Adams active in protecting the environment? D. Were the posters he made for environment causes propaganda or
art? E. Is the popularization of the National Parks a cause for environmental
concern? F. Related links in this site
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ANSEL ADAMS: Classic Images
Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley, California,
c. 1948
To learn more about this photograph see the information below. To see a larger view of this image as a PDF file format, click on the image...
This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of
the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web
site. |
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Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley, California,
c. 1948 A. What drew Ansel Adams to the Yosemite Valley? A. What drew Ansel Adams to the Yosemite Valley?
B. How did Ansel Adams Persuade Presidents to Preserve the Environment? Adams was a man full of passionate conviction for the environment and
tried to effect change in any way possible from photographs to publications
to personal persuasion. He met with many government officials in power,
including Presidents Gerald Ford, and President Jimmy Carter, who presented
Adams with a the National Medal of Freedom in 1980. He reluctantly met
in 1983 with President Ronald Reagan who Adams believed "had little
or no personal interest in the environment or its protection."
He considered his Secretary of the Interior, James Watt, "one of
the most dangerous government officials in history." The near hour
he spent with Reagan was filled with tension and his criticism of the
Reagan administration as reported in the Washington Post the next morning,
"was reproduced world-wide, not without effect." C. How else was Adams active in protecting the environment? D. Were the posters he made for environment causes propaganda or
art? E. Is the popularization of the National Parks a cause for environmental
concern? F. Related links in this site
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HMA Archive From February 4, 2001 through March 16, 2001
A special exhibit on loan from SNET and SBC Communications Inc.
Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California, c. 1948 |
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Partners in Education
Copyright Notice These images are copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photographs is limited to viewing in the context of this web site. This website was the collaborative effort of |
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Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California, c. 1948 |
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Partners in Education
Copyright Notice These images are copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photographs is limited to viewing in the context of this web site. This website was the collaborative effort of |
HMA Lecture Series
Throughout the year the HMA offers lectures that coincide with gallery exhibitions. This series provides an opportunity for intellectual and social interaction amongst students, faculty, staff, and the community at large. Recent lecture topics have included...
Bob Leverett - Sierra Club Author discussed the complex ecosystems of forests which are intrinsically connected to climatic stability and biological diversity, the controversies over their protection and the consequences of forest destruction. (in coordination with the exhibit PRILLA SMITH BRACKET: Remnants: Ancient Forests & City Trees )
Jonathan Talbot - (in coordination with the exhibit JONATHAN TALBOT / COLLAGE PAINTINGS / 1980-2000)
Kim Shichel - Associate Professor of Art History, Boston University - " Landscape Photographs in the American West " (in coordination with the exhibit ANSEL ADAMS: CLASSIC IMAGES)
Peter Ulisse, Professor of English and Chairperson of the Humanities department, HCC - "Emerson, Thoreau & Adams: Nature & Transcendentalism" (in coordination with the exhibit ANSEL ADAMS: CLASSIC IMAGES)
Robbin Zella, Director, Housatonic Museum of Art - "Ansel Adams: American Identity & Ideals" (in coordination with the exhibit ANSEL ADAMS: CLASSIC IMAGES)
Philip Trager, photographer - "Photographic Techniques: Zone System to Digital Imaging" (in coordination with the exhibit ANSEL ADAMS: CLASSIC IMAGES)
Dr. Ruth Macdonald, Academic Dean Housatonic Community College, specialist in children's literature - "PICTURE-BOOKS: READING BOOKS, READING WORDS" (in coordination with the exhibit Innocence of Vision A 25 year retrospective of Kathy Jakobsen, American folk artist)
Susan Sharp - "Evolution: From Figuration to Abstraction", gallery talk with the artist (in coordination with the exhibit FLUIDITY AND FANTASY Paintings by Susan Sharp)
Peter Ulisse, Professor of English and Chairperson of the Humanities department, HCC - Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and the 1960s (in coordination with the exhibit LEST WE FORGET IMAGES OF THE BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT)
Thomas Hoepker - Magnum photographer and organizer of the book New York September 11 by Magnum Photographers will discuss the power of images, how they inform our perceptions and understanding of current events and history. (in coordination with the exhibit OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY Documentary Photographic Images: New York September 11)
Alberta Cifolleli - (in coordination with the exhibit ALBERTA CIFOLELLI)
Lois Goglia and Dr. Leonard Milstone, Professor, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology - The aesthetics of experimental genetics (in coordination with the exhibit Genesis by Lois Goglia )
Housatonic Museum of Art Education
Text for Education will go here.