The Ansel Adams Act

Unfortunately, this is not getting the right type of press. This bill is aimed at commercial use of the park, not you and me that want to bring a tripod. I'd rather see an easy way to bring a tripod into parks, for say a small fee, than this junk.

Notice in the introduction to the bill, it states that Ansel Adams' photographs helped make Yosemite a National Park. Yosemite was designated a national park before Ansel Adams was born.
 
Photography was partial responsable for Yosemite becoming a national park. The photographs of Carleton Watkins (for whom Yosemite’s Mt. Watkins is named) had influenced the unprecedented decision to set aside Yosemite Valley as a state park in 1864, and the photographs of William Henry Jackson had figured in Congress’ decision to create the first national park, Yellowstone , in 1872.
 
htimsdj said:
Notice in the introduction to the bill, it states that Ansel Adams' photographs helped make Yosemite a National Park. Yosemite was designated a national park before Ansel Adams was born.
Click to expand...

Where did you read that?


[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 5893 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5893

To restore the First Amendment Rights of Photographers.


_______________________________________________________________________


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 2, 2015

Mr. Stockman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the
Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and the Judiciary, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL



To restore the First Amendment Rights of Photographers.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Ansel Adams Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds as follows:
(1) In recent years, the Federal Government has enacted
regulations to prohibit or restrict photography in National
Parks, public spaces, and of government buildings, law
enforcement officers, and other government personnel carrying
out their duties.
(2) In recent years, photographers on Federal lands and
spaces have been threatened with seizure and forfeiture of
photographic equipment and memory cards, and have been arrested
or threatened with arrest for merely recording what the eye can
see from public spaces.
(3) Even in the absence of laws or regulations, Federal law
enforcement officers, other government personnel, and private
contractors have been instructed to prohibit photography from
public spaces, and threatened photographers with arrest or
seizure of photographic equipment.
(4) Arresting photographers, seizing photographic
equipment, and requirements to obtain permits, pay fees, or buy
insurance policies are abridgments of freedom of speech and of
the press.
(5) The First Amendment of the United States Constitution
states, ``Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press.''.
(6) Still and motion photographs are speech.
(7) The photography by Ansel Adams and other famous
photographers helped bring home to Americans the beauty and
fragility of our natural resources.
(8) Ansel Adams' photographs helped build public support to
make Yosemite into a National Park.
(9) Future ``Ansel Adams'' must not have their paths
blocked, regulated and made more expensive with fees and fines,
or be threatened with arrest and seizure of their equipment.

SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO PHOTOGRAPHERS.

(a) In General.--It is contrary to the public policy of the United
States to prohibit or restrict photography in public spaces, whether
for private, news media, or commercial use.
(b) Should a Federal agency seek to restrict photography of its
installations or personnel, it shall obtain a court order that outlines
the national security or other reasons for the restriction. Such court
order shall allow restrictions of photography when such photography may
lead to the endangerment of public safety or national security. Nothing
in this Act shall restrict Federal agencies from taking lawful steps to
ascertain whether or not photography may consist of reconnaissance for
the purpose of endangerment of public safety or national security or
for other unlawful activity. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
repeal, invalidate, or supersede section 795 of title 18, United States
Code.
(c) Prohibition on Fees, Permits, or Insurance.--No Federal
Government agency shall require fees, permits or insurance as a
condition to take still or moving images on Federal lands, National
Parks and Forests, and public spaces, whether for private, media, or
commercial use.
(d) Prohibition on the Seizure and Forfeiture of Photographic
Equipment.--Federal law enforcement officers or private contractors
shall not seize any photographic equipment or their contents or memory
cards or film, and shall not order a photographer to erase the contents
of a camera or memory card or film.

SEC. 4. DEFINITION.

``Photography'' means any form or method of capturing and recording
or transmitting still or moving images.
<all>
 
Personaly I never understood why Adams was held in higher esteem than either Watkins or Jackson both did what Adams did more than 50 years before him. Watkins and Jackson were the photographers of Yosemite and responsible for it becoming a National Park. I own a few of the latters work and they are absolutely beautiful though a bit smaller than Adams prints and a lot cheaper. :)
 
I think there are several reasons. Both Watkins and Jackson, great photographers, but took things as they were. Adams took images as he saw them in his minds eye. He also was the first to really articulate and make the zone system teachable and accessible to all that wanted to learn it.
 
The Zone System is Basic sensinometry and exposure technique that was simplified or complicated by a guy who in reality knew very little about film and the science behind it also please don't Forget Archer the co-author/Inventor. Ferdinand Hurter and Vero Charles Driffield pretty much did the work for Adams Zone System in 1876. Adams was a great teacher though and that was as you have stated probably the reason for his fame.

William Henry Jackson did manipulate his prints to suit his Vision adding sky Details etc... he used every tool that was available to him at the time the photographs were made. Also unlike Adams who was a hypocrite to boot Jackson never abhorred Image Manipulation (Mortensen -Adams)

Overall I think you are right but I still think that Watkin' and Jacksons contributions are unfairly judged in comparison to Adams who had acces to very different and more advanced tools.
 
Exposures were so long in the days of Jackson or Watkins, that it overexposed the sky dramatically, rendering it almost white. It was not unusual at the time to add or composite the sky and clouds into the image.
 
Neither was any technique St. Ansel used new. All three used the techniques that were available to them at the time. Watkins and Jacksons used vignettes, they cut their prints, they made round prints etc.. to emphasize certain aspects of the Picture. The whole pre-visualization BS from Adams is exactly that BS he created his work at the printing stage just like the former two who certainly knew what they would get on the plate and what to shoot since they had to face much more difficulties to obtain the Image than Adams ever dreamed off. Wetplate vs film etc...
 
I think this is great. But, is this just Congress' way of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? There are so many larger concerns in the country today they could be - and should be - addressing, their lack of being able to get anything substantial done comes to mind. This sounds like another way for elected officials on both sides to say, "See what we've done to protect individual rights" Plus, it's "being held for consideration," according to the article. I personally would be surprised if anything ever comes of it, to be truthful.
 
DominikDUK said:
Neither was any technique St. Ansel used new. All three used the techniques that were available to them at the time. Watkins and Jacksons used vignettes, they cut their prints, they made round prints etc.. to emphasize certain aspects of the Picture. The whole pre-visualization BS from Adams is exactly that BS he created his work at the printing stage just like the former two who certainly knew what they would get on the plate and what to shoot since they had to face much more difficulties to obtain the Image than Adams ever dreamed off. Wetplate vs film etc...
Click to expand...

I don't totally disagree but they (Watkins and Jackson) were pretty much shooting straight documents. That was their intent. Adams had no intention of doing that. I suggest if you think that Adams approach is BS you should seriously study the zone system. The system after a series of intense test will allow you to consistently place tones where you desire them to be and especially in Adams case are usually no where near where they were in reality.
 
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