Anssel Adams

How much of the image sheet? If you are to Pasar Baru, Jakarta, the price sheet photo stars F4 (F she) is the size of a postcard five Rp 5,000. This is expensive because, besides merely repro aka pirated images, printing costs sheet color postcards is only Rp 1,000. However, what if there are images that price sheet around Rp 300 million?

Thus images entitled Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park made in 1942 years of Anssel Adams (20 February 1902-22 April 1984) from the United States, original prints, it is indeed valuable. Another paper titled Adams Moonrise, Hernandez in 1941 is also worth the same. Photos of Adams category entry price is still cheap around 10,000 U.S. dollars alias around Rp 80 million, such as the Dunes, Oceano, CA, 1963.

Currently, in some places in the U.S. are warning photo exhibition took place 100 years old Ansel Adams. Some offices also send news photos Ansel Adams to newspapers that subscribe to it.

Why are photos Ansel Adams prints in the form of the original value so expensive?

Anyone who saw the original photos of Ansel Adams, the general picture of the nature of black and white, will agree that these photos are very unusual. In addition to nature that is presented is very beautiful, the detail in an image, including contrast and there is no prevailing lighting cacatnya. Can be said, the work of Ansel Adams is the highest achievement in art and photography.

There are some who say, photographs of Ansel Adams look good because of the nature is good. However, surely not the case. Many photographers try taking the same nature with the photogenic Ansel Adams, with the same angle and lighting that is designed the same. The result, generally far below the work of Adams.

Photography Ansel Adams work is generated through the mind in which, experience in the photo laboratory for many years, and the patience and tenacity in the field. A day he worked 18 hours. And, hard work is in progress for many years. Adams does not know at all holidays. To reach the place of shooting, Ansel Adams often must walk for hours, even many days, with very heavy equipment. Camera that Ansel Adams used almost always large format camera.

Results of the field, Adams is a recent theory that black and white photography is very popular, the Zone System. With this system, each tone in a natural correlation with the thickness in a black and white photos. So, at the Ansel Adams photo of each, we could see the white and black appear in parallel with a variety of captivating gray gradation on the same sheet.

Adams did not require correction in the printing of all photographs. Once again, all the photos. Ansel Adams print images with the print length is exactly the same in all the photos because the lighting precision Adams made it as that. Also, the position of enlarger (tool prints) are always fixed, depending on the size of paper that is used only. Adams produced a negative result is final.

However, the biggest criticism of Adams is how poor the images of objects chosen. Famous photographer Henri Cartier Bresson once said, "This world is very diverse. But the photogenic (Ansel) Adams and (Edward) Weston only coral and trees."

Ansel Adams was born and raised in San Francisco. His father, Charles Hitchcock Adams, a businessman. His mother, Olive Bray, just a normal housewife. As children of single parents who marry late (Ansel was born when his mother nearly 40 years of age), Ansel Adams get enough attention. Since he appeared little more ingenuity, is also very active. In a biography, active physical Ansel Adams akan hiperaktif are categorized as to the definition at this time. In addition, Ansel also carry disleksia (interference difficulty reading). As a result, Ansel experiencing difficulties in school. Finally, a formal education only up to level Ansel eight in the U.S., or roughly equivalent to junior secondary.

In the year 1907, Adams family bankrupt. And since then, the economic hardship the family is. The only excitement is a small Ansel enjoy nature, near the Golden Gate bridge. Almost every day he was seen playing the piano there, after finishing the course which he followed.

Since dozens of age, Adams is pleased with the camera taking no1 Kodak Box Brownie was given his father. At age 17, he joined the club a lover of nature, Sierre Club. In this club he also met his wife, Virginia Best, married years ago in 1928, that gave him two children. Despite the active nature lover activities while taking pleasure, ideals Adams at this time is to become a musician.

Thus, the very year that determine the career Adams was 1927. In the year, he was the serial images "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. In the year that also, he can claim to be separated from the influence of shadow Albert M Bender, a prominent San Francisco art, while leaving the desires to become a musician.


Other big point is when he met photographer Paul Strand in 1930, also Alfred Stieglietz. Since then Adams has created the straight photography, or photos without any manipulation, there is no dodging and burning in the process.

In 1927, Adams met with Edward Weston, and both establish Group f/64 in 1932. This group is a group of photographers who take photos of the diaphragm with only 64 (very small) to obtain maximum image sharpness. Even though this group is running with the half-kidding, this is the group prestige up photography as art now.

Even though the photos are very precious expensive, until the 1940s that Adams is not a rich photographer. He is still often difficult money, as seen in his letter to Weston, "Many, O, kerjaanku. But, I still just poor."

Many of the books that have been made. His otobiografi it is not finished because he hurried died in 1984. However, the book Mary Street Alinder completed and published in 1985.

The other book is the John Muir Trail (1938), Michael and Anne in Yosemite Valley (1941), Born Free and Equal (1944), Illustrated Guide to Yosemite Valley (1946), Camera and Lens (1948), The Negative (1948) , Yosemite and the High Sierra (1948), The Print (1950), My Camera in Yosemite Valley (1950), My Camera in the National Parks (1950), The Land of Little Rain (1950), Natural Light Photography (1952) , Death Valley (1954), Mission San Xavier del Bac (1954), The Pageant of History in Northern California (1954), and Artificial Light Photography (1956).

The addition also Islands of Hawaii (1958), Yosemite Valley (1959), Death Valley and the Creek Called Furnace (1962), These We inherit: The Parklands of America (1962), Polaroid Land Photography Manual (1963), An Introduction to Hawaii (1964), Fiat Lux: The University of California (1967), The Tetons and the Yellowstone (1970), Ansel Adams (1972), singular Images (1974), Ansel Adams: Images 1923-1974 (1974), class of the Southwest (1976), The Portfolios of Ansel Adams (1977), Polaroid Land Photography (1978), Yosemite and the Range of Light (1979), The Camera (1980), The Negative (1981), and The Print (1983 ).

Kompas Online, Edisi 21 Juli 2003