Ansel Adams - Photography from the Mountains to the Sea

Stunning exhibition housed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich; this is a "must see" for landscape lovers!  The exhibit ranged from small photos shot at a young age to enormous prints - so big you feel that you are in the landscape itself.  This exhibition was particularly interesting for me, as I am trying to master photography in the Cumbrian Mountains.  Being close up to such incredible talent, I understood more from this exhibition about what a landscape needs to be captivating.  Darker skies for one thing: this adds a sense of melodrama, some detail in the foreground, tonal contrast (particularly if black and white), frozen water, silky water, drama, reflections, leading rivers pointing to summits, repetition of shapes in the landscape and lakes, something connecting the foreground with the background e.g. water ripples - many many things.  I noticed that in many pictures, Adams had the horizon in the middle - particularly when a reflection is involved - so I'm going to stop worrying about this!  I also noticed that his viewpoint was either higher or lower, but rarely at human eye level.  In some images (presumably using a good zoom) - it seemed as if Adams was in the water.

Watching the films - interviews and documentaries - that accompanied the exhibit, Adams spoke about how taking the picture is only one part of the equation - developing (or processing now) is the other bit.  It's rare that you can take a picture and it will miraculously be perfect!  You have to add tone, contrast, darken the sky and so on...  Adams likened this to the relationship between an original music score and a conductor's interpretation.

My favourite image of the exhibition, was strangely one of minimilism and not the landscape drama I was expecting: Submerged Trees, Slide Lake, Teton Area.  I find that I am increasingly becoming more drawn to images representing space - particularly of water.  (Am anxious to get to the sea and find some groynes!).  I also really liked his pictures of barnacles and wish I had seen that when shooting patterns for Assignment Two!

For more information on the exhibition see:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2012/nov/09/ansel-adams-photography-exhibition-london

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9656016/Ansel-Adams-Photography-from-the-Mountains-to-the-Sea.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/arts/visual-arts/ansel-adams-photography-from-the-mountains-to-the-sea-national-maritime-museum-se10--review-8297082.html