Masters of Photography - Ansel Adams

Added: Mar 10, 2008

From: Cybelephotography

Duration: 3:13

Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 -- April 22, 1984) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West. http://www.anseladams.com/ Ansel Adams By Lori Oden (Highlights) http://iphf.org/Hall_Of_Fame/Inducties_Bios/Ansel_Adams_Bio.html Ansel grew up in a house situated on the dunes west of San Francisco with a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The house remained mostly intact after the great earthquake in 1906. Ansel did too, for the most part. After the initial shock the family decided to take refuge outside. As Ansel was playing in the garden a terrible aftershock hit and threw Ansel's four-year-old frame face down onto a low brick wall. If you will look closely at his portraits you will see that his crooked nose was never repaired. As Adams grew up around the beautiful California coast and countryside he began to appreciate exploration and beauty. However, in spite of his thirst for adventure he was often ill as a child. Often in bed for several weeks at a time, his Aunt Mary would give him books to pass the time. One of the books was entitled In the Heart of the Sierras. Because he loved the outdoors, he quickly fell in love with what the author was writing and illustrating. In 1916 Ansel convinced his parents to take a vacation to Yosemite. Ansel would return every year of his life. On the first trip Ansel's father gave him his first camera. Before his introduction to photography in 1916, Ansel was interested in music. During his extensive study of the piano Ansel had taken a job of retouching photographs. To relieve some of the boredom often associated with the repetitive nature of retouching photographs, Adams connected with his uncle who was a Sierra Club member at Yosemite National Park to tag along on one of the wilderness trips. It was difficult for a passionate musician to practice when hiking in the mountains for months at a time. However, Ansel was lucky to find a studio in Yosemite run by Harry Best. Mr. Best allowed Ansel to practice whenever he chose. It was during these practice sessions that Ansel met his wife-to-be, Virginia Best. They married on January 2, 1928. During their years together they had two children, Michael and Anne. After Virginia's father's death in 1936 Ansel and Virginia took over the studio in Yosemite but enhanced it with photography supplies and souvenirs. Another of their many projects and adventures together was making and publishing a children's book. Adams was actively involved in developing techniques for commercial as well as art photography. One of his most famous techniques is the Zone System. This system is a codification of creating technically proficient images. It divides the range of light into ten tones, or zones, from total black (zone zero) to pure white (zone ten). He was friends and associates with many well-known photographers and art historians. Because he was so actively involved with the art scene, he was the initiator and the genius behind many new and now historic projects and groups. Due to his extensive visits to Yosemite and concern for the environment, President and Mrs. Johnson asked Adams in 1965 to prepare a book, A More Beautiful America, which would benefit the improvement of our environment. Other projects included the f/64 Group, member of the board of directors for the Sierra Club, lobbyist for the creation of a new National Park, gallery owner, art critic and author. Adams also assisted Beaumont and Nancy Newhall (both well-known and respected art historians) to establish the first department of photography in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ansel is accredited for helping to make photography appreciated as a fine art form. Adams worked for the government as the official photographer of the Mural Project, which was to travel the American West and document the Indian reservations and national parks. After receiving several Guggenheim Fellowships he was able to take an extended trip to Alaska. During the late 1960s, Adams and Edward Weston's sons, Cole and Brett, formed the Friends of Photography, which eventually turned into the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Adams later years were dedicated to teaching and publishing his books. Ansel Adams was inducted into the Photography Hall of Fame in 1984 based on his passion and dedication to the advancement of the art and science of photography. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/ansel/timeline/timeline3.html http://www.luminous-lint.com/__sw.php?action=ACT_SING_PH&p1=Ansel__Adams&p2=A ---------------------------------- Music- "Come away with me" by Norah Jones http://www.norahjones.com/ Support the artist, buy her music as I did. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-1948619-2205508?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=come+away+with+me&x=0&y=0

Channel: Education

Tags: adams  ansel  away  come  jones  love  me  mexico  moonrise  mountain  nature  norah  usa  with  yosemite 

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