Ansel Adams - "Examples The Making of 40 Photographs"

Again this book was on a recommended reading list. I was somewhat reluctant to get the book because of the antipathy I have towards the celebrity status bestowed on people in practically all fields. Such hero worship tends towards all the person's work being deemed 'good' or even 'great' sometimes referred to as the 'halo effect'. I have always felt that this is true of Ansel Adams who seems to have achieved the status of a demigod. Certainly it is almost impossible to study photography in almost any form without coming across his name particularly when the discussion is about black and white photography. Examples of his work that I have seen previously, in all cases in books, have on the whole been disappointing. However on getting this book I have had to change my mind. I believe that this is because there has been a concentration on producing the best possible images of the chosen 40 thus presenting them in the best possible light.

I believe there are three main elements of the book - the images chosen; the references to the technical elements and, for me the best part, Adams' views on photography. I decided to look at these elements separately across three blogs. I realise that this imposes artificial barriers between the separate elements that should really be considered as a whole but it does allow for, hopefully, greater clarity. To this end I have used the following headings - Choice; Technique, and Philosophy. The first element will be presented in this blog and the remaining two in two further blogs.

Choice

Of the many thousands of photographs that Adams took over the 50+ years of his photographic career it is not obvious why he chose these 40 and perhaps he does not know.  In many ways it is a fruitless exercise to try to explain and it is not my intention to try. In looking through these photographs I found myself responding in a number of different ways some of which were surprising given the attitude of mind I brought to the exercise. The more I studied the images the more I found myself asking  where I would place the individual images in a simple classification of 'Wow', 'Great', 'O.K,' and 'Nope' which led inevitably to me asking myself why I had made those decisions. In what follows I have used the titles used by Adams. The page numbers refer to the edition of the book that I have read [Adams A (1983) Examples  The Making of 40 Photographs. Eleventh paper back printing 2013. Italy: Little, Brown and Company]. It is important to stress that the choices are solely mine and record my reaction to the individual prints and a brief analysis as to why I think I reacted as I did.

Wow

Monolith, The face of Half Dome  Yosemite National Park 1927  (p.3)

The overall impact of this image is enhanced by the capture of the detail in the various elements. Apart from the sky everywhere one looks there is texture and form . The grandeur of the scene and the way that it is composed draws strong emotion.

The Golden gate before the Bridge  San Francisco   California, 1932  (p. 19)

This image has almost everything - the cloud formation, the light on the water and the framing provided by the headlands. There is detail and texture in all parts and the eye is drawn into the image by the composition. One of those images that make you wish that you could be half as good.

Sand Dunes, Sunrise  Death Valley National Monument, California  1948  (p. 57)

An image with real impact that draws the viewer in. There is just sufficient sense of texture in the brightly lit dune front to retain the interest.

Tenaya Creek, Dogwood, Rain  Yosemite National Park 1948  (p.79)

Everything about this picture is right. It is wonderfully composed; light has been captured at its best and the printed result is breath-taking.

Church and Road  Bodega California c. 1953  (p.137)

It is the simplicity of the image combined with the capture of the various textures that makes this a 'wow' image. The composition with the church above the natural eye line adds a dynamic that contributes to the picture's strength.

Merced River, Cliffs, Autumn  Yosemite National Park  1939  (p. 141)

One of my favourites. The capture of the light and the detail offered in a busy but well composed image makes it outstanding.

Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox Canyon de Chelly  National Monument  1937  (p. 153)

Given Adams' other portraits it is something of a surprise to come across this image. The composition cannot be faulted and the drama of the sky with the two figures set against it with only their faces and one hand in the light makes for a classic photograph. The strength of the image lies in the expression on their faces and the sense of an unposed picture adds to the appreciation of a 'wow' image.

Great

Base of Upper Yosemite Fall  Yosemite National Park, c. 1950 (p. 15)

My first reaction to this image was 'wow' as I saw the detail and light in the upper part. It is quite remarkable and one is left with a sense of awe not only because of the power of the fall but also the talent of the photographer. Unhappily this is an image very much of two parts where the lower half is a disappointment that fails by a long way the majesty of the upper half. The inclusion of the rock face does nothing to the overall impact of the image and the tree, bottom left, seems totally superfluous.

El Capitan, Winter Sunrise  Yosemite National Park, 1968  (p. 45)

A similar reaction to the image of Yosemite fall but the ethereal nature of El Capitan above the mist/cloud rather spoils the image as a whole. The detail in the valley floor and trees is exceptional.

Clearing Winter Storm Yosemite National Park  1940  (p. 103)

This is a powerful image particularly the upper half. The two large trees in the right foreground are an unnecessary inclusion but it is impossible to say whether Adams was in a position to shoot without including these trees whilst at the same time retaining the composition of the rest of the picture. One wonders whether Adams, with today's technology, would have removed them post capture.

Arches North Court Mission San Xavier del Bac  Tucson Arizona 1968  (p. 107)

A very powerful image that, one presumes, captures the essence of the building. The composition is really good and it may be pernickety to wonder whether it was possible to get a similarly powerful image without the central pillar which cuts the church building in half.

Still Life  San Francisco California  c. 1932  (p. 113)

My least favourite of all the images in the book but this should not be allowed to detract from the quality of the work overall. The capture of detail (the pressure marks on the egg in the slicer and the reflection of the egg in the grater) is remarkable.

Jacques Henri Lartigue  Arles France 1974  (p. 117)

I am not a great admirer of Adams' portraiture. However this image has everything going for it. It is well seen, powerful and the print very high quality.

Nevada Fall  Yosemite National Park  c. 1947 (p.121)

Really borders on Great/Wow but it does not make the 'Wow' category because of the blown highlights at the top of the fall. There is also the rather strange shaft of light that crosses from the left hand side of the image and catches the base of the trees on the right. It is difficult to decide where it has come from and seems unreal. There is also the trees on the right of the image that detract from the overall composition because they tend to 'block' entry into the image and they make the image unbalanced.

White House Ruin   (no other information)  (p. 129)

The dramatic striations on the cliff face lead the eye towards the main element of the picture. Unfortunately the 'white house' itself fails to retain interest. The development has created a bland, poorly contrasted main subject that is dominated by the area in which it is located. One would also question the decision to include the foliage at the bottom of the picture that seems to be unnecessary in portraying the overall message.

O.K.

Alfred Stieglitz, An American Place  New York City 1935 (p. 7)

For me the face of Stieglitz, surely the primary subject of the photograph is too small a part of the overall image. There is also a lack of definition on the left hand side of his face so that there is a sense of imbalance. One has to take into account that this was a 'grabbed'  image as Stieglitz walked towards Adams but I only know this because of the script of this section. In the Introduction (p vii) Adams writes: "I cannot, and will not, attempt to describe, analyze, or define the creative-emotional motivations of my work, or the work of others. Description of the inspiration or the meaning of a work of photography, or of any other medium of art, lies in the work itself." Whilst an approach that has a great deal to commend it to all photographers it does leave open the door to mis-interpretation by the viewer.

Boards and Thistles San Francisco  c. 1932 (p. 29)

If the image had been of the boards I would have rated the image higher, given the texture and lighting of this element of the photograph. It is the inclusion of the thistles that fail the overall impact of the image as there inclusion is difficult to understand. The structure and detail of this part of the image strike a jarring note.

Rose and Driftwood  San Francisco, California c. 1932 (p 33)

The combination of the two elements of this image does not work. The sworl pattern of the driftwood does not complement the structure and texture of the rose. It distracts and the eye flits from one to the other. It is a brilliant picture of the rose, one can almost feel the softness of the petals. The background, provided presumably by the driftwood, is fussy and inappropriate.

Carolyn Anspacher  San Francisco  c. 1932 (p 37)

I think that it is the strange lighting on the face that detracts from this image particularly the shadow under the eyes.. There is loss of detail in the back of the hair although this is of less importance.

Moonrise  Hernandez, New Mexico 1941 (p. 41)

Described by Adams as his most popular single image it fails to impress. The moon is a relatively small dot in the black sky and the eye.

Aspens  Northern New Mexico  1958  (p. 61)

An almost abstract image apart from the brightly lit tree in the left foreground. Does not quite work for me because of the presence of this tree which drags the eye back rather than allowing it to explore the right hand side of the image which is far more interesting. There is a second image in this part of the book that is just the right hand side of the first shown image which, for me, is a far better image.

Mount Williamson  (no other information)  (p. 67)

The rocks in the bottom half of the image dominate whereas the interest and better part of the image is at the top. It is almost as though Adams had taken to heart the common advice to have something in the foreground but in this case it has become an almost impenetrable barrier.

Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake Denali National Park Alaska 1947  (p. 75)

There is very little to commend this image with the blocked out shadows and the lack of any real detail in the water of the lake. Mount McKinley (I assume that is the massif in the background) appears surrealistic because of the way it has been exposed and developed. It reminds me of a meringue (Baked Alaska).

Rock and Surf  Big Sur California  c. 1951  (p.87)

The large rock in the foreground is superfluous (the rock on the water's edge provides an ideal foreground point of interest) and diminishes the far outcrop by comparison. Having said that there is a large amount of detail of interest in the picture including the clouds and overall the print is very good.

Farm Family Melones  California  c. 1953  (p.95)

My initial idea was to place this image amongst the 'Greats' but on further thought there was something about the composition that does not quite work. The figure in the foreground dominates the image and the other figures are (literally) in shadow. Had the image been entitled 'Patriarch' the portrayed relationship between the four people would better fit. The actual composition does not suggest 'family'. As a technical piece of work it is almost faultless.

Silverton  Colorado  1951  (p. 99)

The placement of the houses against the backdrop of the mountain does not work. It is difficult to decide context and the geographical relationship between the two elements - how close is the mountain to the houses?

The Black Sun  Owens Valley California  1939  (p. 125)

The only redeeming feature in this image is the stream and landscape elements in the right bottom corner of the image. The 'black sun' is just distracting and seems more like a mistake in development but as the accompanying notes explain it was a deliberate decision. The tree that dominates the left hand side of the image together with the ground upon which it stands is too dark and whilst texture is retained one cannot help feeling that concentration on this part of the image would have produced a much better picture.

Moon and Half Dome  Yosemite National Park  California  1960  (p.133)

An image that is possibly one of Adams' most famous images. For me the image is not 'great' because of the large black blob that dominates the left hand corner. One is left wondering what it is (could be someone's arm) and why it was included in the image. There is also the problem of the blocked shadows on the right hand side. Of course it is easy to criticise from the comfort of one's armchair as one does not know how much leeway to move was available.


Edward Weston Carmel Highlands   California c. 1940  (p. 145)

The balance between the subject and the surround is not right. It is difficult to decide what we are seeing - the image of a tree with the human figure there to provide scale or an image designed to illustrate the puny nature of man in nature. Much is revealed in the accompanying commentary but to take Adams at his word and to see the image as presented means that it is just confusing.

Sand Dune Oceano California  c.1950  (p. 149)

An image that does not quite make it.  Take away the title and it could be almost anything.

Nope

Frozen Lake and Cliffs  Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park 1932  (p. 11)

The image could almost be an abstract but we are told in the title what we are looking at. The image fails on a number of fronts. The blocked out shadows at the bottom of the picture leads us to a layer of snow that is devoid of detail. The snow at the bottom of the cliffs with what appears to be a rock fall within is a strange grey with a texture that may be real but which looks decidedly odd. Shadows on the cliff face are blocked out and overall I found it to be a very unsatisfactory image.

Surf Sequence San Mateo County Coast, California, c. 1940  (p. 22)

It was only by reading the accompanying notes that I could make any real sense of this image. This is largely due to being used to seeing the sky where the surf is in this picture.  Even knowing what it is there remains a sense of unreality. The composition leaves a lot to be desired and the three main elements (shadow, scree and surf) are in disharmony and fight for ones attention.

Lodgepole Pines Lyell Fork of the Merced River, Yosemite National Park c. 1921 (p. 49)

Reading the accompanying article one supposes that this image is an experiment in soft focus. The result is poor by any standards but this may be due to the lightness of the rocks and trees in the middle of the picture.

Early Morning, Merced River, Autumn Yosemite National Park c. 1950 (p. 53)

The eye finds it difficult to settle on any particular spot and the overall impression is of an image that tries to provide too much information. The is no doubt about the very high quality of the printing and the capture of detail and texture overall but as a composition it fails.

Martha Porter, Pioneer Woman  Orderville, Utah  c. 1961  (p. 71)

The subject of this image is Martha Porter but the dominant feature is the porch support on the right of the picture. Brightly lit and textured it immediately attracts attention and further study. The presence of the woman seems almost incidental. The portrait element fails to do justice to the subject and greater attention to lighting and developing to emphasise the character and life history etched into the face of this woman would have led to a much more striking image.

Buddhist Grave Markers and Rainbow  Paia, Hawaii  c. 1956  (p. 83)

My initial response was - this is awful. On further examination I feel I was being too kind. The rainbow could be anything. The jumble of grave markers with the white one on top is exactly that - a jumble.

St Francis Church Ranchos de Taos New Mexico  c. 1929  (p. 91)

It may be the limitations of the equipment used or difficulties with developing the image but this image is a massive disappointment. The most appropriate treatment would, I suggest, lie in deepening the shadows to emphasise the shape of the church and to bring out the texture. There is also a need for the introduction of a human figure or other marker that would give the viewer to make a clue to the size.  As shown it could be a child's sandcastle shot from low down.

Old Water Tower San Francisco  California  1961  (p. 159)

There is nothing about this image that attracts me. It is badly composed and the domination of the tower created by its central location in the image does not allow any judgement on its size and its relation to the surrounding buildings.

Winter Sunrise Sierra Nevada  from Lone Pine  California 1944  (p. 163)

A four layered 'cake' that fails to impress. The black mass in the middle of the image where there is virtually no detail gives the impression that there is a hole in the landscape upon which the sun lit mountain stands. A real disaster.

Graffiti  Abandoned Military Installation  Golden Gate Recreational Area  California  1982  (p. 167)

One is left wondering 'Why?'