Day 26 – Know Your Craft

I’m spending one more day discussing Ansel Adams because I felt I couldn’t move on until I mentioned his contributions to the technical side of photography. Adams did more than just point a camera at a scene and shoot. Although that’s probably an overly obvious observation, I was impressed by Adams dedication to developing his technical skill in photography.  

For example, he used glossy paper to intensify tonal values. He used different apertures and exposures to capture sharp details and have a long range of focus. He developed the “Zone System” with the help of his friend Fred Archer. This was to determine the optimal exposure and development time for a photograph. I don’t pretend to really understand any of what any of that means. (Although, Adams taught thousands of students in photography workshops over the course of many years. So if he was still around I’m sure he would have been happy to teach me!) Adams also produced ten volumes of technical manuals on photography, and was a consultant to a few companies which sell camera equipment. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams; http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/).

My point is that he worked very hard at photography, his craft. I don’t even know that much about photography, but when I look at his work I can tell it’s special. And I really enjoy seeing his photographs. It’s a joy to see art that’s well done, whether it’s a painting, a photograph, or an ancient Egyptian carving. Adams photography is well done. I hope that I remember, in whatever endeavors I take on, to do my best and ensure that whoever sees my work knows I poured true effort into my task!

And because I can’t resist… here’s one more Ansel Adams photograph:

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 25 – Art’s Influence on a Greater Cause

Finally, time to feel like I’m writing a real blog entry. The last few days were a little sketchy!

So, let’s talk some more about Ansel Adams. (http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/). First, a little interesting background. Adams hailed from San Francisco, California, where he was an only child and was given a conservative, Victorian style upbringing. When he was four, he broke his nose in an earthquake, which left him with a distinctly crooked nose for life. Probably due to his upbringing and crooked nose, Adams was a shy child and did not fit in well at school, which resulted in his spending a lot of time exploring nature. As I mentioned yesterday, his love of nature played a huge role in his photography. In particular, Adams loved Yosemite, and spent a significant amount of time there every year.

Adams devoted much of his time to protecting the nature he loved, not just through photography but through attending meetings and writing letters. However, his photographs exerted the greatest influence on his goal of preservation. Adams showed the “magnificent natural beauty of the West” in his photographs, and Adams earned a following of many who loved his visual artistry. He used his art to serve a cause he believed in. So many of the areas he photographed have been preserved because of his efforts.

I like reading about this, because I like thinking about how art has an influence on society. Although I think “art just for art’s sake” is not a bad thing, there is something special about art that is born out of the artist’s passion for a cause. Adams’ took photographs because he loved the medium of photography, sure, but his own passions influenced his subject matter. How wonderful to see your life’s work changing something you care about for the better. Although I tend to side-eye a bit people who say your job shouldn’t feel like “work” (I think this is a completely impractical way for a society to run- I think you should care about doing good work, but not all jobs are going to be things people are passionate about and those jobs still must be done for society to function; there are ways to find fulfillment in areas of life outside of your job, and working an “uninspiring” job shouldn’t prevent you from living an inspired and fulfilling life), there is undeniably something very cool and inspiring about someone who was able to do something they truly loved and influence positive change in something they cared about.

Below are a few examples of his incredible nature photographs!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 24 – Shortest Blog Ever: Ansel Adams and Nature Photography

It’s hard to even know where to start with Ansel Adams. He had a very long, influential career in photography. But one of the coolest things about his career, I think, is that he not only influenced the world of photography, but also environmental issues that he cared about. I read today that he fought for the preservation of natural wilderness in America, and that his photographs showing the beauty of wild America resulted in the protection of many of these areas. (http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/)

I have a lot more to say about Ansel Adams and his photography- the biography I found of him at the link above is really great! But I’m even more tired today than yesterday (I guess it’s all really catching up with me today?), so I’m going to catch some sleep now and write more tomorrow. Gotta get some zzzzzs when you can!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 23 – Switching Gears: Photography

So, first of all, today was quite an adventure: we finished moving out of our apartment in Chicago and we are now in an extended stay in the suburbs for the next two weeks, which is nice for the Other Half because it’s a much quicker drive to his workplace. Our stuff is all in storage for the moment, because our next place isn’t nailed down quite yet (long story). We get to go on vacation two weeks from now! I’m very excited, and I already feel like I’m on vacation since I’m essentially living in a hotel room at the moment, haha!

I want to switch gears again, to what will probably be the last area of art I explore during my 30 days of art: photography. Several years ago, when I still lived near Fort Worth. I saw an exhibit on Ansel Adams and thought it was really cool. So, tomorrow I’m going to write about Ansel Adams, and then go from there. I think photography is an interesting art form, both because in the grand scheme of art it’s a relatively new medium, and because so many people take artistic photographs as a hobby these days. Whether or not these amateur photos are any good certainly varies widely, but it seems like every time I turn around another one of my friends is putting up a photography blog. I think it’s neat that so many people are able to access their creativity this way.

That’s all I have to say for today, however. It’s been a long couple of days, and I definitely need some sleep! Before I go, here’s one Ansel Adams photograph as a preview. Pretty incredible!

Xoxo,

Diana