This is an excellent interview from Silber Studios with Ansel Adams’ son, Michael, about the senior Adams’ photography and philosophies on the craft.
Very telling are the comments that Ansel Adams — the god of landscape photography — was not offering reality. He offered his interpretation. His style came from his mastery of his equipment and the darkroom.
Based on this video I think Ansel Adams would be deep into digital photography and a master of post-processing, which is the darkroom of today.
As you watch this video, think about how much of the discussion can pertain to the modern photographer, post processing and skills needed for success as a 21st century photographer.
Marc Silber’sPhotoShow with Ansel Adams’ son Michael from marc silber on Vimeo.
Tags: Anel Adams, darkroom, digital darkroom, digital photography, landscape photography, Photographer, silber studios, Video
Rosh,
I’m very pleased to hear this about Ansel Adams’ son’s comments and of course I knew this all along. However, I often run into these “unchallenged by conventional education – types” and there have been a few in our own photographic club, who are the die hard film only types who INSIST that the only form of “Pure” photography is still the “Untouched Print” straight from the negative.
They go on to espouse that any manipulation at all, as in all this Photoshop work done by today’s “Fake” photographers, detracts from what was the pure art of photography, as it was meant to be. They insist that any form of manipulation of the image means that this immediately negates any chance of calling it photography in the “True meaning of the word”.
True masters of photography would be shocked at what is happening to images today they tell me, and I ask them if, when they say true masters, they mean people like Ansel Adams? Of course the reply is always the same… a resounding YES! I then continue, having baited them to that answer, that what Ansel Adams did was nothing short of what is done to images today in the computer with any number of manipulation programmes however we have the luxury of doing it cleanly in a warm and comfortable room with lights on, and we can take a break when ever we wish and come back and play some more. Furthermore if we so choose, we can even run back a few steps and try an effect over again in a different manner. Try that in the old wet dark room.
I let them know that what Ansel Adams did to his prints is exactly what others are doing today in Photoshop or other programmes and suggest that if he was starting out again or in his prime right now, he too would be deep into photoshop and other techniques. I suggest that all the manipulation that was done by him in the dark room to his prints is equal to anyone altering their RAW images shot with a modern DSLR.
I challenge them that had they been next to Ansel Adams with an identical camera on a tripod a foot to his side, the image taken by them at the exact second that Ansel took his, with the exact same film, exposure and processing would most definitely NOT look anything close to his finished images once they had them processed or did the processing themselves and printed in their “True form of the art” way. And why? Because Ansel manipulated the heck out of that print to arrive at the way he wanted it to look as a final image on paper.
I try to make them realize that no two famous painters are alike either despite the fact that they may be using the exact same canvas and paints. They both saw the same image yet had two different finished forms in their mind’s eye and used the raw data, their sketch or imprint in their minds, as a foundation for their finished image on canvas via oils and or other medium. I then try to make them understand that a photographer presses the button at that moment to record what will be for him his starting image or his foundation and he will build upon that foundation or base photo as much as he needs until the finished image that was in his mind’s eye at the moment of capture is complete and to his liking/tastes.
Therefore what the “true Masters” of photography were doing way back when is exactly the same as what is being done to images by today’s modern photographers using Photoshop, Corel Painter or whatever floats their boat. I suggest to them that if they can’t change their way of thinking on photography they had better start putting jam in their pockets because if they don’t come on board and walk into the 21st Century, they are their types are all going to be “TOAST”.
And do you know what the funny/strange part is? They mostly don’t agree with anything that I just told them.
Kind regards
Lucian
[...] Would Ansel Adams be a great digital photographer? [...]
Thanks for this video Rosh
I wish I was the interviewer…..
Rosh
I can’t agree more with Lucian. Whenever I have an exhibition of my works I always here the same people saying the same thing. If they only knew how Ansel Adams worked with his negatives to create his photograph.
I have used to same exaples of painters and they’re interpretations of the same subject (i.e. the impressionists). But if they continue talking about the untouched photograph, I usually just tell them “there is no awesome button in photoshop” and move on.
I like that “no awesome button in photoshop”
Rosh
Wonderful interview Rosh, firstly, but Lucian, I cannot agree with you more! Nicely said. . . Cindy
[...] Here is an interview with Ansel Adams’ son posing the question of whether or not the elder Adams would be a great digital photographer. Would he? Find out! [...]
Adams a great photographer – you’re joking !!!!
I hope you are not comparing Ansel Adams to todays standards.
I am sure he would lead the way.
Thank you for the comment
Mr. Sillars, thanks for the video link and post. I believe he would have been a great digital photographer. Regardless of your technology, analog film and chemicals,or digital sensor and software, you half to see it before you can use the technology capture it. Again thank you, I look forward to both the Detroit Creative Labs and the Driven Business Podcasts.
Thank you for the comment Vern. I always appreciate your comments.
Rosh