AmerÂiÂca has speÂcialÂized in both the beauÂtiÂful and the terÂriÂble, inspirÂing awe of every posÂiÂtive and negÂaÂtive variÂety. That goes for both the human achieveÂments that have hapÂpened there as well of the natÂurÂal enviÂronÂments they’ve hapÂpened in and around, both of which define AmerÂiÂca equalÂly and have made it the kind of place the word subÂlime, mixÂing in as it does a tinge of fear with admiÂraÂtion, was coined to describe. Ansel Adams, who ascendÂed to the top of the phoÂtoÂgraphÂic panÂtheon with his career spent shootÂing the 20th-cenÂtuÂry AmerÂiÂcan West, seemed born to capÂture that subÂlimÂiÂty.
How did he do it? The 1958 docÂuÂmenÂtary Ansel Adams, PhoÂtogÂraÂphÂer (also availÂable on Archive.org) offers a twenÂty-minute look into the life and work of the man whose name has become a byword for the majesÂtic black-and-white AmerÂiÂcan landÂscape. We also hear a few of his philoÂsophÂiÂcal posiÂtions on his work. “PerÂhaps music is the most expresÂsive of the arts,” says Adams himÂself after a few minÂutes at the piano. “HowÂevÂer, as a phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer, I believe that creÂative phoÂtogÂraÂphy, when pracÂticed in terms of its inherÂent qualÂiÂties, may also reveal endÂless horiÂzons of meanÂing.”
We then see and hear about all the (highÂly pre-digÂiÂtal) camÂeras and assoÂciÂatÂed tools with which Adams engaged in that pracÂtice before headÂing out to the coast to watch him in action. “Like every good phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer,” says the narÂraÂtor, Adams “pre-visuÂalÂizes his final print right there,” a techÂnique we’ve preÂviÂousÂly covÂered here on Open CulÂture. Then out comes the light meter, in order to “estiÂmate what expoÂsure he needs now and what develÂopÂment he needs latÂer.” Every choice Adams made — about “film, lens, filÂter, lens extenÂsion, lens aperÂture, shutÂter setÂting,” and more — he meticÂuÂlousÂly recordÂed in his noteÂbook.
After develÂopÂing and examÂinÂing the negÂaÂtive in his lab, he tries out a “test expoÂsure,” which pleasÂingÂly turns out as a “quite well-balÂanced” image, but one that nevÂerÂtheÂless sugÂgests improvÂing tweaks for the next one. (ColÂor film’s relÂaÂtive lack of flexÂiÂbilÂiÂty in this part of the process kept black-and-white Adams’ phoÂtoÂgraphÂic form of choice.) “Once Adams has achieved the print he wants,” the narÂraÂtor tells us, “he is able, simÂply by conÂtrolÂling expoÂsure and proÂcessÂing, to make from one negÂaÂtive hunÂdreds of fine prints in a day. By this techÂnique, he can proÂduce portÂfoÂlios of origÂiÂnal prints which are in themÂselves works of art.”
Much has changed about phoÂtogÂraÂphy since Adams did it, of course, though mostÂly in the techÂniÂcal sense. As the process of simÂply makÂing a phoÂtoÂgraph becomes ever faster and easÂiÂer, the disÂciÂpline, conÂcenÂtraÂtion, and appetite for rigÂor of a phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer like Adams, whose “stanÂdards are as high as those of an archiÂtect or an engiÂneer,” become ever rarÂer and more valuÂable. Like all of the most imporÂtant artists, his process in comÂbiÂnaÂtion with his very nature tranÂscendÂed the limÂiÂtaÂtions of his time, resultÂing in images of AmerÂiÂca that, to this day, still look not just as if we could step right into them, but realÂer, someÂhow, than realÂiÂty itself.
Ansel Adams, PhoÂtogÂraÂphÂer has been added to our colÂlecÂtion, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great ClasÂsics, Indies, Noir, WestÂerns, DocÂuÂmenÂtaries & More.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
HenÂri CartiÂer-BresÂson and the DeciÂsive Moment
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities and culÂture. He’s at work on a book about Los AngeÂles, A Los AngeÂles Primer, the video series The City in CinÂeÂma, the crowdÂfundÂed jourÂnalÂism project Where Is the City of the Future?, and the Los AngeÂles Review of Books’ Korea Blog. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
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