A dozen decades ago, February 20, 1902, a being named Ansel Adams came into this world.
As some may know, Adams has long been a personal seminal voice. A deeply complex, spiritual, and thoughtful human being, his work sowed an early seed-muse that lead me—a shy and anxious New England boy—to discover the richness of the earth. Both he, along with the writer Colin Fletcher, opened my eyes. They compelled me to seek out my home of homes… the western reaches of North America. Adam’s intrinsic nature is easily recognizable via his work; if one digs into his life story, the complex beauty of his expression as a human being become all the more powerfully touching.
When I was 12 my mom signed me up for a photography class with Ron Rosenstock during the summer holiday. Held at the Worcester (Massachusetts) Craft Center, it’s my mom’s particularly intuitive genius that she knew herein lay a place for me. Ron taught us the Zone System for exposure and the art of shaping prints via “burning and dodging.” We learned that there is much more to capturing an image than the simple act of “pointing and shooting.”
Still, beyond the technical details of making a photograph, Ron exposed us to seminal photographers. An affinity for Adam’s soul stirring work was born.
I revere many of his creations… it is hard to choose a particular favorite. Yet, one speaks to me above the others. It’s not, and this surprised even me, a landscape, but rather, a humanscape. His image of Georgia O’Keeffe and Orville Cox is profoundly moving.
It encapsulates an ineffable expression of humanity, big lands, big skies. That look she holds: the wise, knowing, playful face of the beautiful krone. You just want to know her deeply. Intuitively, you know a wealth of knowledge and beauty lay within. How Adams captured this moment… I don’t need to know. I am simply grateful that he did.
"Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum." —Ansel Adams
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