I don't know about that, Darin. Trying to upstage Kubrick himself would be a tough act. So I'll counter with another Hollywood line, "A man has to know his limitations". In other words, I have no interest in being a wannabee Ansel Adams or wannabee anyone else. He was good enough playing that part, and the sequel probably wouldn't be worth buying the theater ticket. But I learn from all kinds of people and precedents, and along the way, maybe do a little bit of tadpole metamorphosis of my own.
Flying fish might have the answer. I'm also looking into space fish.Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net
I like Ansel Adams work because I used to live in the area he photographed. Since I enjoy looking at his photographs I'm sure his work subconsciously affects my picture taking.
Newly made large format dry plates available! Look:
https://www.pictoriographica.com
Do you have any famous friends that you think you talk about too much? That's how I feel about Ansel Adams.
I just bought a copy of Adams, Ansel Making a photograph: An introduction to photography. Call me a fool but it comes loaded with what might honestly be silver gelatin prints printed in his darkroom from his negatives. You can't always pick something like that up for under a hundred bucks. I'm thinking of either gently slicing out one or two pages and framing them... Or maybe I'll respect the book and get a keepsake picture frame, open to a certain page and display it under glass that way, changing pages from time to time for variety.
But my photography is my own. Influenced by him sure, but not his tripod holes.
Before you slice pages from that beautiful book, you might take advantage of an affordable alternative.
As reported recently, the AA Gallery in Yosemite was slicing images from their unsold AA calendars, matting them, and selling them for $6 each, beautifully done.
Maybe call or check the web site to see if they still have stock.
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And I think Bill's post suggests a related issue: Fight or embrace it, how (or how easily) does AA's influence "get out there"?
Good topic for another thread. I have some books with plates that look as nice as any darkroom prints I've seen. You could decorat a whole house for $100, including the exacto knife and ikea frames.
I think of a print's value based on the print process. Offset lithography, even fine duotone work like the Ansel Adams books and calendars, I don't think of as valuable. I'll make an exception for David Lance Goines but posters generally don't impress me.
But I do value continuous tone prints, and this is why I think this book is going to be special... to me. Some people (maybe most?) will only consider a print valuable if it comes with pedigree - like a signature. I don't care if you dug it out of the trash*. If the print came from Ansel Adams' darkroom I'd be interested in it.
*A friend left me in charge of such a print (that he dug out of Ansel Adams' trash), and while I had it I would look at it in awe. The mystery of who actually printed it and the sheer detail that only a continuous tone print from LF negative can deliver... Became part of the intrigue for me.
Thank you for that !
In that case you may be interested in Ansel Adam's Moonrise that he ended-up tossing because of paper flaws. He stamped these marked "CANCELLED" in perforations. The Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco has several and Scott said that he was going to put them on the market soon.
Thomas
Sometimes I feel like fighting with Andre Kerestz
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
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