In the spirit of a recent and entertaining thread about favorite Ansel shots, I thought I’d offer this variation to the readers among us – favorite words by the master.
Has any scripture by St. Ansel ever inspired you?
Indeed, “Ansel the Educator” is (almost) every bit as inspiring to me as “Ansel the Image Maker.” Much of what he’s said & written has guided my understanding of the craft and opened the skies to my spirit.
Here’s just one example – a quote about “normal” lenses which guided me through my first lens purchase. (This was early in the LF game – well before I had sufficient experience to figure out what my own needs would be.)
He wrote:
“In general, I do not find the normal lens especially desirable, functionally or aesthetically. The angle of view and depth of field characteristics do not seem favorable to me in interpreting space and scale. In my experience, lenses of shorter or longer focal length are usually preferable in an aesthetic sense. I frequently find that the ‘normal’ concepts and performances are not as exciting as those that make an acceptable departure from the expected reality” (from “The Camera,” Chapter 5).
(Kind of sounds like a poet speaking about “normal” words or syntax, don’t you think?)
I remember this striking a cord in me. And I still don’t have, say, a 135mm, 150mm, or 180mm lens – but that’s not because I give priority to his preferences; rather, it’s because his example has helped me identify what my personal preferences really are.
Has Ansel guided you in some way? (Not necessarily with equipment purchases.) But have his words ever helped you achieve your aims, or better appreciate photographic aesthetics? Have they made you a better photographer at some critical moment in the field? Or perhaps a better darkroom worker?
Please share his words – and their influence on you.
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