Ansel Adams... Famous for a reason

[craig]

I think he took neat pictures. Did he shoot with a Cannon or a Nikon?

)'(

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I believe he used a point and shoot modified to take 10x8.

I've written enough about Adams in this forum though a quick search failed to find the right thread so I will just re-state the salient points.
Adams was a superb technician. The only thing that he was better at was hyping himself.
His main claim to fame rests on two things: he was taught by Edward Weston and he photographed America.
The second was what really put him in the spotlight. If you look at what was going on in the World in the 50's and 60's you will see that the Cold War was coming to a peak. The US was fighting Communism on all fronts - including Art. The CIA funded the cartoon Animal Farm, Jackson Pollock/Mark Rothko et al were pushed as America's answer to Modern Art, and Adams was promoted as a photographer.
Adams photographed the American landscape so his images promoted 'America the Beautiful', a good propaganda tool.
This is not to detract from Adams (or others) but just an attempt to give people a Historical anchor - to see him in context.
He continues to serve as an example to aspiring amateurs because his pictures are accessible: what you see is what you get. No knowledge of Art or Photography is needed because his images are largely of Nature so we can respond to them in the same way as we respond to a nice view or a sunset.
In fact they serve as a yard-stick for judging other pictures. Adams is seen at the top (technical perfection) with all other photographers being measured against him in terms of technical competence.
It is only if you get beyond the obsession with the equation 'technical perfection = good photography' that you can begin to see Adams for what he is.
In terms of inspiring generations of photographers, promoting Photography as Art, and promoting technical perfection he comes into the top five.
In terms of being the most influential photographer of all time, again he is in the top five.
In terms of creativity and originality... Well, you can't win them all.
I don't see this as a bad thing, though, provided you keep a sense of proportion. See Adams for what he is, respect his huge contribution to Photography - then go and look at some more creative, original and challenging photographers.

Personally, I think he missed his calling. The few portraits that he did show a rare talent in this area. If only someone had told him 'stick with people, AA, and forget the trees and rocks' I would not be writing this.

 

[abraxas]

NY Times Interactive Feature on ANSEL ADAMS

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/04/27/travel/20080427_YOSEMITE_FEATURE.html

Thanks for posting that CM.

If you get it, you get it. If you don't, I guess you had to be there. If everyone were to be there, it wouldn't be worth it.