His life: 1902 - 1984, San Francisco, California taught himself the piano at age 12 and music remained a focus in his later life joined the Sierra Club.

• his life: 1902 - 1984, San Francisco, California

• taught himself the piano at age 12 and music remained a focus in his later life

• joined the Sierra Club in 1917

• personal philosophy (quote):"I believe in beauty. I believe in stones and water, air and soil, people and their future and their fate.“

• he decided that the purpose of his art, whether photography or music, was to reveal that beauty to others and to inspire them to the same calling.

• his work and style is highly recognizable (i.e., sharp focus, heightened contrast, precise exposure, and darkroom

craftsmanship.)

• typically used a large format camera (expensive film)

• allowed for the creation on high quality/sharp images

• credited with developing the Zone System for determining proper exposure and tonal control of

final print

• part of the f/64 group (20 San Francisco photographers promoting a common style: sharp, carefully framed, precisely exposed, natural form

• best known for his B&W work (he did not trust colour technology early in his career)

His often ambivalent feelings toward the use of color film were based on a lack of technological quality in color film, on the viewers' perceptions of the reality of the subject, and on the vision of the artist as expressed through the medium.

He recognized the importance of color photography as an art form, yet expressed concern that the colors seen in the finished product would not be accurate representations of that art.

He was also concerned that a color photograph would give a false impression of reality to the viewer. In a black and white picture, the artist could express vision, without it being accepted as objective reality.      

The medium will create its own aesthetic, its own standards of craft and application.

The artist, in the end, always controls the medium"

Media Response

Given Ansel Adam’s reluctance to use colour in his work, explain why you think he felt that colour gives a false impression of reality to the photographer and/or the viewer.