What book by Ansel Adams had done to me

[Pioneer]

Where I studied photography Adams was not a reference. The photographers that I studied with were street photographers and more influenced by the WPA/WWII photographers. As you can see I am not a big Adams fan. I do not find his landscapes fascinating. They were done before in the 19th Century by others. The landscapes he photographed in the 1930's did not exist for 99% of America. During that time America was in Depression and the cities were falling apart as well as the countryside. The purpose of the WPA was to document the decaying and changing landscape. It is interesting to place Adam's work alongside that of Walker Evans, for instance, or Dorthea Lange and view America. Evans and Lange showed us how America existed at the time. Adams created a fantasy world, much like Wallace Nutting, who precedes him by a few years. For me he created the ultimate coffee table books (I have quite a few) but I choose not to emulate his work. What I find distracting is how many "photographers" I meet that say that they want to take pictures like Ansel Adams. But, when I inquire about other photographers they have not heard of any. Lenswork magazine is a good example of would photographers who are capable but have no real eye of their own. 2/3 say that they want to take photos like Ansel Adams and he is their major influence. (Another photographer commenting on Adams asked would Adams be taking the photographs he is famous for today and in the same manner with the same equipment or would he have updated his style?)
The book I find to be the best on Adams in so far as it demonstrates a fuller range but with lesser noted images (as noted above) is "Ansel Adams" edited by Liliane De Cock with a forward by Minor White published by NY Graphic Society 1972.
Again, although the book is very good one must look at the dates of the images, especially the ones taken during WWII and compare them to the photographs of Miller, Capra, & the Life photographers, etc. who risked their lives to bring images home.
Adams isolated himself from the world and events. Adams' photographs make wonderful posters and coffee table books as they are inoffensive and pleasing to the eye.
(I am sorry I can not relate which books I read about Adams and how he worked.) (I recall when one student asked about the Zone System the instructor, a WWII combat photographer, just shook his head and laughed.)
Personally, I like the photographs posted on this sight better, or at least, many of them.

Thank you for your clarification Steve Bellayr. There is certainly no shame in not liking Ansel Adam's work. Ms Lange, Walker Evans and Robert Capa are certainly excellent photographers to study. Their work is certainly wonderful.

But liking Adams is certainly nothing to be afraid of either. Trying to lessen his image by casting aspersions on his ability and vision, or to intimate that he is not worthy as a photographer because he did not choose to work in the same way that Dorothea Lange or Walker Evans did, seems a bit disingenuous.

Though their politics was likely different Lange and Adams seemed to respect each other enough to work together documenting conditions at Manzanar.

 

[charjohncarter]

TO Ian M. from sunny south Seattle: I have a Pentax 6x7 and without any accessories a half mile will kill me. I think Edward Weston said that I never take a shot more than 400 yards from the road. Well some relatives lived in south Seattle (although south may be different to you than it was to me) when I was young but there are plenty of good shots in those neighborhoods.