Ansel Adams

by Ansel Adams, Andrea G. Stillman, Wallace Stegner

In his early years in Yosemite, Ansel Adams formed the habit of writing letters at every opportunity. Among the family, friends, and colleagues with whom he corresponded rank such eminent names as Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand and Jimmy Carter.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, History

441 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

People note black-and-white photographs of the American wilderness of American photographer Ansel Easton Adams.

Though wilderness and the environment were his grand passions, photography was his calling, his metier, his raison d'etre.

From: Ansel Adams, Photographer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_A...

Reviews

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was beautifully done. All of the photography is in black and white, taken with several different kinds of cameras, and several tricks of the trade. You can see his artwork in so many places, but I never really gave it a thought. Until now. The book begins with biographical information, and the end of the book is all photography. " Adams devoted his life to describing the majesty, romantic light and haunting drama the American West:Yosemite, Big Sur, the Grand Canyon,the mountains and lakes of Montana, and the Alaskan frontier." He even has a mountain named after him; "Mount Ansel Adams, which is 11,760 feet high and stands at the Lyell Fork of the Merced River in Yosemite National Park."

Ansel was born in 1902 in San Francisco, and passed away in 1984. The California Wilderness Bill designated over 100,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada, and Mt. Ansel Adams was officially named in the YosemiteNational Park in 1985. In 1979 President Jimmy Carter awarded him the The Presidential Medal of Freedom.

[Megan Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life - yes, I know that sounds insane. Ansels letters to family and friends were not only so full of detail and passionately written, but it told a tale of his entire life. It says a lot that these people kept his letters throughout the years, allowing us a glimpse into his life. I watched a young man, age 19, explore his first mountain, and watched him grow old, taking on the challenges of the world and consistently trying to improve himself, his family, and his country. The years passed quickly, and the letters got more detailed and opinionated towards the selfishness of the world, and Ansels hope for common ground in nature. His devotion to nature and capturing it captured me, and I now feel like I have met and lived with this human as he traipsed across the mountains and valleys in America, felt connected as he debated the purpose of life, and wept at the final letter sent days before his death, where he hoped the generations that come after him respect and fight for nature and to stand up against injustice. Yes, he was a great photographer, arguably the best, but he was so much more.


Read this book.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was amazed at Ansel Adams outlook on life and his art. From reading you can tell he was greatly respected as well as a true artist in more ways than one. If you want to learn more about the man and his character I would highly recommend this book.

[John]

A coffee table book. Stunning photos.

[Jonathan]

None

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from a friend years ago. Helps us "see" the world around us and has lessons about dedicating ourselves to our creativity.

[Karl H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ansel Adams is a talented gifted photographer.