The Ansel Adams Gallery

Eastern Sierra colors captured by The Ansel Adams Gallery Curator, Evan Russell. With the day-use system no longer in effect, the areas in and around Yosemite National Park have been getting much busier - Just in time for some nice fall color in the valley! Are you planning on visiting soon? We have several Photography Classes available and would love to help you make the most of Autumn's beauty. Feel free to call us at 209-372-4413 or visit - https://www.anseladams.com/...photography-education/ Have a great rest of your week! #TheAnselAdamsGallery #FallColors #EasternSierra #YosemiteNationalPark #PhotographyClasses #EvanRussell

Are politics a circus? They sure can seem like it. Ansel Adams spent a lot of time advocating for the protection of wilderness and worthwhile conservation. And while he was a wonderful wordsmith and wrote more letters to the editor than any sane man in history (according to Bill Turnage) his photographs of the rugged West did a lot of the talking. One early foray into political commentary Ansel made was in 1931 when he took the photograph "Political Signs and Circus Pos...ters, San Francisco, 1931." He felt so strongly about the aesthetics of the image, made towards the inception of his f.64 phase, that he even included it as a part of his important exhibition at An American Place a few years later. Ansel would say of the image that he thought that the juxtaposition of the political signs next to those advertising the circus were quite apropos. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but nothing is worth more than your vote. Circus or not, please vote, and exercise your strongest voice! Political Signs and Circus Posters, San Francisco, 1931 by Ansel Adams #Vote #TheAnselAdamsGallery #AnselAdams #PresidentialElection #YosemiteNationalPark #ElectionDay

Happy Moonrise Day! It was 79 years ago today that Ansel Adams 'almost ditched' his car off of U.S. Highway 285 in New Mexico and rushed to set up his 8x10 camera as the last light of the day was fading in the west. What resulted was arguably the most popular visualization of Ansel's career, as well as one of the most significant photographs made at any point throughout the history of the medium. When Ansel first saw the scene before him he said he recognized it as "an inev...itable photograph." The background of the image was recounted in Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs and has attained legendary status, with many delighting in the romantic, technical, and fanciful elements of the story. Ansel would even write that Moonrise has "evoked more comment than any other I have made." It was always a stubborn print to make and evolved over time perhaps more than any other Adams photograph. Ansel clarified that "it is truly difficult to make prints from this negative that I like [and] it is safe to say that no two prints are precisely the same." Interestingly, Moonrise was made after a long and frustrating day for Ansel, where he had felt nothing but defeat in his photographic efforts - "defeat [coming] occasionally to all photographers, as to all politicians." But in the end, he prevailed. His exasperation waning in the face of determination. Read more here! - https://www.anseladams.com/a-halloween-story-moonrise-hern/ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico by Ansel Adams All images The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust #TheAnselAdamsGallery #MoonriseDay #OriginalPhotograph #AnselAdams #YosemiteNationalPark

Good morning, It looks like it will be a beautiful weekend here in Yosemite Valley. Friendly reminder - Starting this Sunday, November 1st, 2020, day-use passes will no longer be necessary to enter the park! Bright Grove by Penny Otwell is one of the breathtaking pieces we have on display as part of our latest exhibit! Glacial Conclusions - New Paintings by Penny Otwell will be up through November 21st, 2020. While we are unable to host a reception due to current social requ...irements, we do hope you come to the gallery to view a culmination in a lifetime of friendship and art in Yosemite. #TheAnselAdamsGallery #PennyOtwell #NewExhibit #GlacialConclusions #RepresentedArtist #YosemiteNationalPark

"When I do find myself in the creative flow, I feel like I am in a different realm or time zone. My mind is not struggling with many thoughts. The inspiration for making images passes through me without great effort. I move comfortably from one idea to the next. An exchange occurs between myself and the subject. The camera does not interfere with this relationship but it is hopefully capable of recording the moment." - Staff Photographer Michael Wise In an interview with Staf...f Photographer / Assistant Curator Michael Wise (M.Wise), we discover a reverence Michael has for the surrounding Nature in his home of Yosemite National Park, and how he has grown as an artist since arriving here. Michael is a long-time Yosemite resident, working as both a commercial photographer and university professor before coming to the Park. He believes the natural gesture of Yosemite has offered him an emotional and intellectual grounding. Through his photography teaching and guiding work at The Ansel Adams Gallery, he continues to learn the joy of sharing and expressing the creative enlightenments that are bestowed by this natural environment. We are very fortunate to have Michael as part of our team! To check out this lovely Staff Spotlight, click here - https://www.anseladams.com/staff-spotlight-staff-photograp/ #TheAnselAdamsGallery #MichaelWise #StaffPhotographer #YosemiteNationalPark #StaffSpotlight #PhotoEducation

Over the years, Ansel made many trips criss-crossing the Southwest to photograph its canyons, gullies, deserts, and towns, often bringing his family along. His son Michael recalls one particularly memorable journey in 1941, which saw them traversing the deserts of Arizona from Canyon de Chelly to Monument Valley. Arriving in the trading post at Chinle, Ansel met up with Cozy McSparron, a trader and colorful character who ran the Thunderbird Ranch, a lodge for visitors to the... Navajo Territory. As Michael remembers, it was still very warm, despite the late afternoon hour, when they arrived, and Cozy McSparron and Ansel sat on a screened-in porch and drank bourbon. Of course, he adds, I drank Coca-Cola, given that he was just eight years old at the time. It was only the following day that Ansel returned to make the image that we now know as White House Ruin. With young Michael in tow, Ansel climbed down from the White House Overlook in search of the perfect spot from which to make his photograph. All these years later, Michael still remembers how scorchingly hot it was that day. It was a very hot day, he recalls, laughing, and after waiting around until he got the photograph that he was happy with, we had to climb back out of the canyon, quite a journey on eight-year-old legs! To read more click here! https://www.anseladams.com/magic-strength-beauty-ansel-ada/ White House Ruin by Ansel Adams #TheAnselAdamsGallery #WhiteHouseRuin #AnselAdams #YosemiteNationalPark

Happy Friday, We hope you guys can have a relaxing weekend enjoying the beautiful outdoors! Aspen in Fog, Boulder Mountain, Utah by Charles Cramer #AAGFilmFridays #TheAnselAdamsGallery #YosemiteNationalPark #CharlesCramer #RepresentedArtist #AnselAdams

Despite the smoke, we hope those visiting the park recently have been able to enjoy some fall colors! Here’s a photo taken by the wonderful Mike Reeves We hope it’s an easy rest of the week for you all #TheAnselAdamsGallery #YosemiteNationalPark #FallColors #MikeReevesPhotography #StaffPhotographer #PhotographyEducation

There is often a mournful quality about fall in Yosemite. The Merced River is very low, and the waterfalls are gone for the year. Autumn color is never brilliant there, but the dark gold and russets of the oaks and willows have a particular quiet beauty. - Ansel Adams Walking along the banks of the sedate Merced, Ansel was struck by this image of the valley’s oaks, the last of their autumn leaves still clinging to the boughs, as the Cathedral Rocks loom in the background. W...ith only a narrow sidewalk to the west of the El Capitan Bridge on which to place his camera, Ansel opted to use a wide-field, 10 lens on his 8 x 10 camera. Since most of the scene was shaded, his primary challenge was of contrast: manipulating the luminance to show the golden leaves in their full autumn splendor. This image, one of Adams’ first to be conceived using his innovative Zone System, demonstrates the depth of thought and attention he paid to considerations of contrast, light, and space within his photographs. Click here to read the story behind this beautiful image! https://www.anseladams.com/merced-river-cliffs-autumn/ Merced River, Cliffs, Autumn by Ansel Adams #TheAnselAdamsGallery #YosemiteNationalPark #AnselAdams #Fall #Autumn

Cloud Reflections and Mt Moran by William Neill #AAGFilmFridays @williamneill We are very happy to be carrying William Neill’s latest book, Light on The Landscape. We have signed hardcover and unsigned softcover copies available at The Ansel Adams Gallery! For more than two decades, William Neill has been offering his thoughts and insights about photography and the beauty of nature in essays that cover the techniques, business, and spirit of his photographic life. Curated an...d collected here for the first time, these essays are both pragmatic and profound, offering readers an intimate look behind the scenes at Neill’s creative process behind individual photographs as well as a discussion of the larger and more foundational topics that are key to his philosophy and approach to work. Drawing from the tradition of behind-the-scenes books like Ansel Adams’ Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs and Galen Rowell’s Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape, Light on the Landscape covers in detail the core photographic fundamentals such as light, composition, camera angle, and exposure choices, but it also deftly considers those subjects that are less frequently examined: portfolio development, marketing, printmaking, nature stewardship, inspiration, preparation, self-improvement, and more. The result is a profound and wide-ranging exploration of that magical convergence of light, land, and camera. We highly recommend you checking out this wonderful book! - Light on The Landscape - #TheAnselAdamsGallery #LightonTheLandscape #WilliamNeill #RepresentedArtist #PhotographyBook #YosemiteNationalPark

New exhibit now on display at The Ansel Adams Gallery! Glacial Conclusions New Paintings by Penny Otwell Now is the time to seek out old friends and in Penny Otwell’s case, the oldest of friends. Literally. Throughout her decades spent wandering and painting Yosemite National Park, Ms. Otwell has come to include the eternal rocks, trees, and waterfalls as among her dearest companions, and those she knows and understands intimately. They in return, have given her a lifetim...e of inspiration and influence, which now more than ever, we look to embrace without debate or critique. A result of that grounded relationship in these times of consolation is ‘Glacial Conclusions New Paintings by Penny Otwell.’ Penny has reminisced how I am grateful for the countless mountain experiences I’ve enjoyed. Living in Yosemite Valley for many years has brought me rewarding friendships still vital today. I paint what I feel about this place, not just what I see [and] the best part of my life is making art that lets me share my joy of this remarkable place with others." This stunning exhibit will be on display through November 21st, 2020. #TheAnselAdamsGallery #PennyOtwell #NewExhibit #GlacialConclusions #YosemiteNationalPark

"Only education can enlighten our people - education and it’s accompanying interpretation, and the seeking of resonances of understanding the contemplation of Nature." - Ansel Adams This famous petroglyph depicting Bighorn Sheep was captured by Ansel Adams in 1958, located at Monument Valley, Arizona. Found in all parts of the globe except Antarctica, many petroglyphs are dated to approximately the Neolithic and late Upper Paleolithic boundary, about 10,000 to 12,000 years a...go, if not earlier. Although there are many Ancestral Puebloan Petroglyphs in Monument Valley, the ones photographed by Ansel are thought to be some 700 years old. The running Bighorn sheep are particularly striking and can be seen in a niche below the Eye of the Sun, another historic rock formation. Petroglyphs by Ansel Adams We currently have this photograph on display at The Ansel Adams Gallery in a beautiful 16x20" format. #TheAnselAdamsGallery #YosemiteNationalPark #OriginalPhotograph #Petroglyphs #AnselAdams

Autumn Sunrise, Half Dome and the Merced River, Yosemite by Represented Artist Michael Frye We hope this brings a little bit of peace to your Friday morning! #TheAnselAdamsGallery #RepresentedArtist #MichaelFrye #FallColors #YosemiteNationalPark #Autumn

There have been quite a few Bears roaming around Yosemite Valley lately! Please remember to use caution when driving in the park. Staff Photographer Mike Reeves snagged this shot of Yellow 32 after work a few days ago. Staff Photographer Mike Reeves #TheAnselAdamsGallery #YosemiteNationalPark #Bears #StaffPhotographer #MikeReeves