Tuesday, December 21, 2010

New Year's Resolution - Master the Digital Darkroom


It’s time to master the digital darkroom!

Do you want your photographs to really capture what you saw and felt when you made the exposure? Do you think that sometimes they don’t live up to their potential?

You know you could get the most out of your images if only you could learn the complexities of Photoshop. But this program seems incredibly daunting. Sure, you can pick up useful tips here and there. But how do you put it all together? How do you know when to use this trick, and not that one? How can you cut through the clutter and develop a time-saving workflow?

Michael Frye, author of Digital Landscape Photography, has designed this workshop to demystify Photoshop and the digital darkroom. You’ll learn simple, powerful techniques that take advantage of Photoshop’s power but avoid it’s complex pitfalls. You’ll learn a comprehensive workflow to take your images from capture to print. Most importantly, find out how to convey your vision and make your photographs express their full potential.

In this workshop we’ll work in The Ansel Adams Gallery’s digital lab learning simple, powerful, step-by-step procedures for taking a Raw file to a finished print. Morning and evening field sessions will allow you to refine your composition and exposure skills, and beautiful light and the potential for clearing storms make winter a great time to photograph Yosemite. The class size is small—no more than eight students—so you’ll get lots of personal attention.

Here’s a partial list of topics covered:

-Zone System Exposure for Digital Cameras
-Color Management
-Overall workflow
-Raw Image Processing
-Making a Master File
-Using Layers for Flexibility
-Controlling Contrast
-Mastering Curves
-Dodging and Burning
-Retouching
-Making Difficult Selections Easy
-Converting to Black and White
-Sharpening
-Combining Images for Greater Depth of Field
-Combining Images to Expand Dynamic Range, both with HDR and Photoshop

Click here to join this workshop and learn the secrets to mastering the digital darkroom!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Ted Orland- Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity

You are invited to this exhibit at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite.
Reception with the Artist on Thursday, November 18th from 3-5pm. Refreshments and drinks will be served, and Orland will be attending. On display from November 10th - December 31st.

Orland’s hand-colored black & white photographs follow in the West Coast tradition of fine craft printmaking, but engage a wide range of contemporary subject matter. Recently he has begun scanning his hand-colored work and generating an edition of inkjet prints of existing images that seem to translate well to that medium. Even more recently he’s begun bypassing the darkroom entirely(except film developing) and either “hand”-coloring images on the computer or re-working color negatives. His photographs are exhibited widely and appear in most major museum collections.
Take this opportunity to come experience the peaceful Autumn season in
Yosemite and enjoy the exhibit. See more of Ted Orland's work here:
http://www.anseladams.com/category_s/65.htm

Ted Orland lives in Santa Cruz, California, where he pursues parallel careers in teaching, writing and photography. Ted first visited Yosemite in 1966 as a student in Ansel Adams’ Summer Photography workshop, and in the early 1970’s became assistant to Ansel Adams and printer of Adams’ Yosemite Special Edition Prints. He taught at the annual Ansel Adams Yosemite Workshop fifteen times, and continues to visit the Park frequently.

In 1987 Orland became the first photographer to receive a National Park Service Artist in Residency in Yosemite, and for the past ten years has participated in the Park Service’s annual High Country Artists’ Pack Trip. In 1988 he received a Certificate of Special Recognition from the United States Congress for his work in the conservationist movement to save Mono Lake. More recently he has twice served as Juror for the annual Yosemite Renaissance Exhibition, which promotes artwork made in Yosemite National Park. Currently he teaches master classes for University of California Extension, and at workshop centers across the country.

Orland is author of Man & Yosemite, which traces the early history of Yosemite as it can be interpreted through photographs of the period; he also wrote the Introduction to Uelsmann/Yosemite, a book of decidedly contemporary images by photographer Jerry Uelsmann. A major selection of Ted’s photographs and writings appear in his monograph, Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity. Ted is the co-author (with David Bayles) of the book Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Printmaking, which explores the nature of the art-making process. Art & Fear has been on the best–seller list for art books ever since its publication in 1994, and is currently in its tenth printing.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Autumn's Peak


Fall seemed to come a little late this year, with the Oaks and Dogwood finally at their most brilliant right now. Heavy rains earlier in the month knocked some leaves down, but we still have abundant color especially in protected areas. The light has been buttery-golden and crisp all day long, getting even more spectacular in the morning and evening. Gauzy blue-white morning fog has been gracing the meadow areas, creating a wonderful scene for those willing to get up early while on vacation!

Tioga Pass (on Eastern highway 120) has been closing intermittently, and most recently re-opened on Tuesday the 2nd. The high country is also sublime right now, with dustings of snow on the high domes, golden meadows, and lots of solitude. The coming storms may close the pass for the season, check to make sure it is open before planning a trip. The most up-to-date National Park Service information on Yosemite road conditions can be found at: (209) 372-0200.
Image by Staff Photographer Evan Russell

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Upcoming 2011 Workshop Sneak Peek!


We'll be announcing our 2011 workshop schedule soon, but thought we'd give you a sneak preview of Photoshop and Digital Printing Workshop with Michael Frye, since it's only a few months away! January 16-20, 2011.

This is a perfect class for anyone who wants to improve their knowledge and skill with Photoshop. Photoshop is an incredibly powerful program, yet because of that power it’s also complex. This workshop is designed to help you cut through the clutter, and all the conflicting, confusing information out there, and learn simple, powerful techniques for making great digital prints. You’ll leave the class with new skills, confidence, and increased mastery of Photoshop. Here's a partial list of the topics covered:

-Zone System Exposure for Digital Cameras
-Color Management
-Overall workflow
-Raw Image Processing
-Making a Master File
-Using Layers for Flexibility
-Controlling Contrast
-Mastering Curves
-Dodging and Burning
-Retouching
-Making Difficult Selections Easy
-Converting to Black and White
-Sharpening
-Combining Images for Greater Depth of Field
-Combining Images to Expand Dynamic Range, both with HDR and Photoshop

Registration for this and all our 2011 workshops will be open soon, but in the mean time don't forget to mark this down on your calendar!


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

YOSEMITE: In Detail, Watercolors by Sally Owens

The work of artist Sally Owens will be featured in an upcoming solo show of paintings in Yosemite National Park. Owens, a longtime park resident and winner of regional, state & national awards, is best known for her subtle & detailed portrayals of natural "found objects" such as leaves, feathers and branches, meticulously rendered in watercolor.
The exhibit, YOSEMITE: In Detail, will run from September 27th through November 7th at the Ansel Adams Gallery, located in Yosemite Village. Come renew your spirit after a long, hot summer, and welcome Autumn to Yosemite. The weather cools, the crowds dwindle, and glorious fall colors adorn the landscape. Paint, hike, and enjoy the scenery, then swing by to meet Sally. Artist's Opening Reception Wednesday October 6th from 4 -6:00 p.m.

See more of Sally Owens' work!

About Sally Owens:

"I was born in Japan and have long admired the graceful simplicity in asian art and design. I grew up in California, where the natural landscape is tremendously varied and inspiring, raised by two teachers for whom travel and the arts are passionate interests. Our family visits to Yosemite forged a connection which endures to the present.
My husband, a wilderness ranger, also profoundly influenced my direction, and continues to inspire me with his keenly felt love of nature. Since 1988 we have built our lives around the singularly beautiful place that is Yosemite. In our increasingly fast-paced, complex world, it remains a sanctuary where I find great satisfaction dedicating hours to
a solitary pursuit requiring only brush, water, paper and paint.

While artistic inspiration abounds in the many majestic landmarks, I am particularly drawn to what is found in their shadows, common things with a quiet beauty that often goes unnoticed. I hope the subjects of my paintings speak for themselves. My aim is to keep the painting process simple, and I strive to create artworks as spare & elegant
as the objects themselves. In my work I hope to reveal the subtleties of the natural objects around us, and to illuminate the extraordinary in ordinary things."

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Yosemite Facelift Cleanup- Sept 22-26

The annual Yosemite Facelift park wide cleanup is approaching! Join hundreds of other volunteers as they undo the summers' damage. Special events have been planned and raffle prizes will be given away throughout the weekend. Organized by the Yosemite Climbing Association, this helpful annual event is very popular and effective. Reserved camping may available for registered participants. More information is available at yosemiteclimbing.org.

Friday, August 13, 2010

John Sexton: Photographs from Three Decades



We invite you to join us for John Sexton's new exhibit at the Yosemite Gallery.

John Sexton is one of the most widely known contemporary black and white landscape photographers and educators. He was Photographic Assistant to Ansel Adams for many years, and his work, in high demand, demonstrates the technical and artistic expertise that one would expect from such an association. John's work has a very distinctive feel and is immediately recognizable, for he has clearly stepped out of the shadow of his mentor and established a worldwide reputation. The show will be on display from August 18th to September 26th.

A reception will be held on August 21st, from 4-6pm at the Yosemite Gallery with refreshments and beverages.

We also invite you to join us for Sexton's lecture,
Inspired by Yosemite: Photographs by Ansel Adams and John Sexton, which will be held following the reception at the Yosemite Lodge Outdoor Amphitheater beginning at 8:30pm.

John Sexton was born in 1953, and resides in Carmel Valley, California. Respected as a photographer, master printmaker, and workshop instructor, he is best known for his luminous, quiet photographs of the natural environment. John’s most recent book is Recollections: Three Decades of Photographs, an award-winning retrospective volume, published in late 2006 by Ventana Editions. John’s previous award-winning books include Quiet Light, a monograph representing fifteen years of his work, and Listen to the Trees, which were published by Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown and Company, along with Places of Power: The Aesthetics of Technology published by Ventana Editions.

His photographs are included in permanent collections, exhibitions, and publications throughout the world. His work has been featured on CBS "Sunday Morning" show with Charles Kuralt, and on the MacNeil Leher News Hour. Bank of America, General Motors, and Eastman Kodak have used his photographs in national advertising campaigns. Sexton's photographs have been included in numerous publications including: Time, Life, American Photo, Backpacker, Photo Techniques, Darkroom Photography, LensWork Quarterly, View Camera, Black and White, Zoom, Outdoor Photographer, Outside, TWA Ambassador, Southern Accents, and Popular Photography.

He is the Director of the John Sexton photography Workshop program, and has taught numerous photography workshops each year for other programs in the United States and abroad, emphasizing printing technique and mastery of the Zone System. These programs include: The Ansel Adams Gallery Workshops, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, The Friends of Photography, Maine Photographic Workshops, and the Palm Beach Workshops. His informed and entertaining lectures for photographic and professional organizations, colleges, and universities discuss the aesthetic and technical aspects of fine black and white photography. He has presented lectures for, among others, Boston University, George Eastman House, The Friends of Photography, Los Angeles, County Museum of Art, Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, and the Seattle Art Museum.

A recipient of the 2005 North American Nature Photography Association Lifetime Achievement Award, John is a consultant to Eastman Kodak Company and other photographic manufacturers. He served as both Technical and Photographic Assistant, and then Technical Consultant to Ansel Adams from 1979 to 1984. . Following Mr. Adams’ death Sexton served as Photographic Special Projects Consultant to The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. From 1985 to 1993, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of The Friends of Photography.


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Family Trip to the Ansel Adams Wilderness


This past week, Michael and Matthew Adams took a short trip into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. They were joined by writer Robert Poole and photographer Peter Essick, who were both from National Geographic Magazine. On this trip, the exact GPS coordinates were found for Ansel's Banner Peak, Thousand Island Lake image. The weather was pleasantly balmy in spite of the elevation, and the late snowmelt this year nurtured a healthy crop of mosquitoes!
For the curious, here are the coordinates:
37N 43.640, 119W 10.806!
Above:
Summit Lake looking down the San Joaquin.
Right: Michael Adams
at lunch, near the location that Ansel's Banner Peak, Thousand Island Lake was made.
See the original image made by Ansel Adams



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Response to July 27, 2010 Article -- Experts: Ansel Adams photos found at garage sale worth $200 million

Matthew Adams
July 24, 2010
Yosemite, California

I was provided access in November 2009 to the evidence that the “Norsigian Team” had accumulated. No further evidence has been presented, and my comments are based on the information provided at the time and not updated.

Negative Sleeves –
The negative sleeves are manila envelopes with a stamp to organize handwritten information as:
No_
Name_
Remarks_

Each sleeve is numbered with a 4 digit number, starting with “8”, and a title in the “Name” field. The title is suggested to be in the hand of Virginia Best Adams, Ansel’s wife (married 1928). The dates of the any glass plate negatives pre-date the marriage, meaning that the sleeves would have been new after 1928. The supposition presented is that the negatives were rescued from Ansel’s darkroom fire of 1937, sleeved and marked at that time. Ansel’s negative numbering system usually referenced glass plate negatives as “GP”. “1-GP-##” would mean 8x10 glass plate image number ##. 1937 is certainly after Ansel started using this negative numbering system, and these examples are inconsistent with that schema.

I am not aware if any carbon dating of the negative sleeves has been done. Presumably it would be possible, and might provide scientific evidence of the date of the sleeves and possibly the date of the marking.

Handwriting – The handwriting of the negative number does not match the handwriting of the title. The handwriting of the titles has been identified by Mr. Norsigian’s team as belonging to Virginia Best Adams. The expert, Michael Nattenburg, used samples from 1927, 1929, and 1950. My opinion, without expertise but familiarity only with her handwriting of a later date, is that it does not belong to Virginia. I have viewed the sample handwriting from the 1920s and subject handwriting, and found differences that I would consider significant.

In addition to not recognizing her handwriting, several of the titles, including “Bridal Vail *sic+ Falls”, “Happy Iles*sic+”, “Washborn *sic+ Point”, Glaciar *sic+ Point” are misspellings of common place names in Yosemite. Virginia had lived in Yosemite every year of her life, and at the time of the darkroom fire, she was 33 years old. Virginia was an intelligent, well read young woman, enjoyed Yosemite and the outdoors, and it is inconceivable to me that she would misspell any Yosemite place names.
Negatives –

There are 61 negatives, all 6½”x8½”, consistent with Ansel’s Korona camera. The negatives originally surfaced in the sale of contents of a storage facility in Greater Los Angeles, per “Norsigian Team”. They were acquired by Mr. Norsigian in 2000 at a garage sale in Fresno.

The negatives have been tentatively dated 1924, within a broader range of 1919 to 1932. The broader range of dates is irrelevant, as it begins with Ansel beginning to photograph and ends with the demise of glass plate negatives. Part of the dating is based on the emulsion silvering, a loose method of dating at best. I have seen prints from 1960 silvering, and prints from 1927 with no silvering. Further evidence of date was not provided. I have not inspected negatives, and do not know whether silvering is as varied with negatives as with prints.

Some of the negatives have been scorched, presumably by fire, and it has been suggested that this was from the 1937 darkroom fire in Yosemite Valley. Chemical analysis of the char or fire residue has not been conducted. I have suggested it, as this would provide at least one piece of hard circumstantial evidence. To the best of my knowledge, this has not been done, or at least is not part of the evidence provided to me.

Images –
The images include 50 images of Yosemite, six images of Carmel (possibly Pebble Beach?), one image of Baker Beach, and four images of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. I am not sure to what extent the location of the last five can be positively identified.

One image of Yosemite is of Jeffrey Pine on top of Sentinel Dome. Mr. Norsigian’s experts compared it with a print of Jeffrey Pine at the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) in Tucson, where Adams’ archive is housed. Mr. Norsigian’s experts have verified that based on the cloud formation, shadows, and snow pack, the two negatives were made at the same time. However, that particular Jeffrey Pine is one of the most photographed trees in the world. The old Glacier Point Road ran very close to the dome, it was easily accessible to the many visitors that came to Yosemite. It was photographed in the late 19th century by Carlton Watkins, and the most common image by Ansel was made in 1940. The reference snow pack is on mountains that are 15-40 miles away, too far to make a distinguishing assessment of relative annual coverage and melt patterns. The clouds are Spring evaporation clouds, and commonly build over the same areas of mountains daily for several months every year. A similarity in photographs without corroborating evidence does not provide hard evidence. They could very easily be made in different years, let alone different days by different people.

Relative to the same image, the CCP negative is 5x7, whereas the subject negatives are 6½”x8½”. Mr. Norsigian’s experts explain this by either: the (purportedly common) use of a reducer back, which allows a camera to expose a smaller negative; or two cameras. The two negatives also have a slightly different perspective. A more simple explanation is that the two photographs were made by different people at different times.
The evidence did not include any reference to exposure records for the negatives. Ansel was meticulous about keeping track of exposures (for development notes and learning, it helped him develop and use the Zone System). If the subject negatives were indeed made by Ansel, it is logical to assume that there would be exposure records for them, and that if the subject Jeffrey Pine negative was made at the same time as the CCP negative, it should be in the same exposure record notebook.

Images –
Mr. Norsigian’s team speculates that these are from the “Pictorialist” period of Ansel’s career, or mark a transition from pictorialism to straight photography. Such speculation does not provide positive or negative evidence to whether they are in fact Ansel Adams’ images. “Pictorialism” was the standard practice in photography well into the 1930s.
Mr. Norsigian’s team uses the locations of the body of work on the whole as evidence of provenance. Again, it does not provide positive or negative evidence. Ansel was not the only photographer in Yosemite or the San Francisco Bay area in the 1920s. The subject matter of these photographs would be common subjects for any photographer living in or visiting these highly touristed areas.

Other photographers active –
Mr. Norsigian’s team did some research on other known photographers who were active in Yosemite. They have ruled out amateur photographers based on the quality of the negatives. That is a subjective opinion, but does narrow the field of alternatives. Boysen, Fiske, & Watkins were deceased by the estimated time of the negatives. Arthur Pillsbury was active in Yosemite, and moved from Yosemite to Los Angeles, however the negatives have been disclaimed by his grand-daughter, Melinda Pillsbury-Foster. Harry Best would have been active, and in his 60s during the period. This fact does not rule him in or out, nor does it rule in or out any of his employees. This is under an assumption that the handwriting is Virginia Best Adams’, which I don’t believe. These are areas that were highly visited tourist destinations, and it is conceivable that it was in fact a photographer from Los Angeles, where they originally surfaced, who made the negatives.

Circumstances –
The question that cannot be proven is how these photographs ended up in a storage facility in Los Angeles. Mr. Norsigian’s team speculates that they may have been a part of Ansel’s teaching process at the Art Center School in Los Angeles in 1941. It is reasonable to assume that Ansel would have used some of his negatives during a teaching process, and perhaps even damaged ones. What is less clear is how Ansel would have let negatives get out of his care, in any circumstance. Particularly after the fire, Ansel was very careful about his negatives. He kept them in a bank vault in San Francisco, and would go to the bank to pull a negative to work with. How 61 negatives could get out of his possession is hard to fathom.

Burden of Proof –
It is my opinion that with an artist of the stature of Ansel Adams, the burden of proof is on Mr. Norsigian and his team, and that the level of proof should be at a minimum “certainty”. This is based on the fact that a positive or negative conclusion is made for posterity, and therefore becomes a part of the legacy of Ansel Adams.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

William Neill Reception, 4-6pm



We are happy to announce William Neill's reception tonight, from 4-6pm. refreshments will be served and Neill's wonderful new work will be on display!
William Neill, a resident of the Yosemite National Park area since 1977, is a landscape photographer concerned with conveying the deep, spiritual beauty he sees and feels in Nature. Neill's award-winning photography has been widely published in books, magazines, calendars, posters, and his limited-edition prints have been collected and exhibited in museums and galleries nationally, including the Museum of Fine Art Boston, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, The Vernon Collection, and The Polaroid Collection. Neill received a BA degree in Environmental Conservation at the University of Colorado. In 1995, Neill received the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award for conservation photography.



Thursday, July 8, 2010

Yosemite Climbing Association Art Auction


The Yosemite Gallery will be hosting the 5th annual YCA Art Auction which benefits programs such as the highly successful Yosemite Facelift parkwide cleanup.
The work was hung yesterday and looks great. There is a wonderfully diverse showing of art. The donations will be on display until Saturday July 10th, when we will be hosting the Gala event from 5-7:00pm. At that time, silent auction sheets will be posted and the bidding will take place. There will also be refreshments, drinks and a drawing for prizes. This event benefits a wonderful organization, we hope to see you there!
Image by Charles Cramer

Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Mono Basin Workshop with Ray McSavaney, September 29th- October 3rd.

The emphasis of this workshop will be on exploring aspects of the photographic process that strengthen personal vision. The location of this workshop will be Lee Vining with its varied landscape of the surrounding desert-like lowlands to high alpine forests and lakes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Other nearby destinations include an abandoned ranch and the gold rush town of Bodie. The workshop takes place at the beginning of October with fall arriving in the high country, turning foliage yellow and gold.
Click here for more information or to sign up.


Ray McSavaney began his serious photography in 1972. Since then he has explored various aspects of photography and the environment which were shown in his award-winning book, Explorations, and numerous other publications. He has staffed more than 200 workshops, co-founded the Owens Valley Photography Workshops in 1975, initiated his own workshop series in 1991, and has instructed for The Ansel Adams Gallery and John Sexton Workshops, among others.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day 2010
















The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.

- Wendell Berry

Today is a day to reflect on ways we can live on this planet more sustainably. Find Earth Day information, activities, and the many ways you can take action in your area at EarthDay.org.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Top Nature Photographs to be Featured in Earth Day Auction

Discovery News online reports.....

The "top 40 nature photographs of all time," as selected by the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), will be auctioned by Christie's International on April 22nd in honor of Earth Day.

Proceeds will be divided among the following environmental organizations: Conservation International, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Central Park Conservancy.

The collection spans over 100 years of photography and features iconic images of nature in the 20th and 21st centuries. The photographers include National Geographic Magazine Editor-in-Chief Chris Johns, Pulitzer Prize-winning landscape photographer Jack Dykinga, and underwater documentarian Brian Skerry.
Article continues.......

Visit www.abidtosavetheearth.org to bid on items in the silent auction, including signed prints of some of the Top 40 images. You can also check out the complete gallery of 40 photographs at this Flickr page.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Yosemite Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day


Celebrate Earth Day in Yosemite
The weekend of April 17-19 and....Earth Day: Thursday, April 22, 2010.

Where better to celebrate Earth Day than in Yosemite? Expect to enjoy activities such as sampling food from our sustainable and organic salad bar and browsing vendor tables to discover products that can help you to protect the environment. You could also make a fun souvenir, enjoy a theatrical performance or find out what Park Partners are doing to keep the Park “green” on a guided tour around Yosemite Valley. Whatever your interest you will find plenty of exciting activities to inspire you to make every day Earth Day!

Yosemite´s Earth Day Events span four days this year. Events are free and throughout the park. We look forward to seeing you there!

Earth Day 2010: "Stand Up for What You Stand On" Schedule of Events is posted on the DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite website.

For more information on Earth Day events contact Emily Jacobs. ejacobs@dncinc.com

Above image is by Charles Cramer. To see more of his work please visit our online gallery.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Black & White Digital Printmaking Workshop with Rich Seiling
















Just a few spaces left in Rich Seiling's Black-and-White Digital Printmaking Workshop in June.

Black-and-white photography provides a deeply expressive means for personal communication. Using the vocabulary of tone, density, contrast, boldness, and subtlety to render light and physical subjects onto a print, black and white provides photographers with a language that is unique to this medium. Rich is an outstanding photographer and printmaker in his own right and an excellent teacher. You can view some video tutorials on his blog to see some examples of his teaching style.

Rich Seiling is the President of West Coast Imaging, a speciality lab that caters to the needs of fine art photographers...those who use photography as a means of personal expression. WCI offers services that produce prints of the finest quality for display in galleries and museums, and offer their services to anyone who demands this standard of excellence.

This workshop is designed to unlock your potential to express yourself through black-and-white prints made with digital tools. For more information, please visit our website.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Spring Events at The Ansel Adams Gallery


Happy Easter

Happy Spring!






It's a great time to visit Yosemite...

Redbud are blooming in the Merced River Canyon along Highway 140. The beautiful pink violet buds mixed with the fresh green leaves of the buckeyes and oaks are exciting and very photogenic.

Water Works -Upcoming exhibit for Penny Otwell, reception on Thursday April 15 from 4:00 to 6:00. Refreshments will be provided. Come meet Penny and see her lively exhibit of new paintings.

This year we are offering two Waterfalls of Yosemite photography workshops with our talented and enthusiastic instructor Mike Osborne. Please see our website for more information. You don't want to miss this opportunity to explore and photograph the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley with the man who wrote the book - Granite, Water, and Light.

If you are not able to be in Yosemite, we hope you enjoy the glorious spring season wherever you are.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Forgotten Ansel Adams Murals Brought Back to Light

















The many federal buildings of Washington, D.C., house more than just bureaucracy and thousands of federal workers. They are also home to some hidden gems of art.

A new exhibit on the walls of the Interior Department's headquarters displays a series of photographs taken by Ansel Adams — murals commissioned in the last century, but never before displayed.

Read and hear the NPR story by Bryan Naylor and see photographs from the exhibit.

The Adams murals and other art in the Interior Department can be viewed by appointment.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Sand Dunes, Full Moon, Fantastic Rock Formations, and More!


Our 2010 Lone Pine to Death Valley workshop from April 26-30 with Alan Ross is an experience of extremes. Alan will take you through some of the most celebrated (and filmed!) landscape in the country. The rockscape of the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine will likely bring back many visual memories -- from a zillion Westerns, to Star Trek, to many car ads - to the boulders in Ansel's famous "Mt. Williamson" photograph. Aside from the rocks of the Alabama Hills, we'll also be able to visit the High Sierra cascades at Whitney Portal; the site of the WWII Japanese Relocation Camp, Manzanar; and of course, sunrise on the dunes in Death Valley. In 2010, we will have the added treat of evening moonsets on the dunes! Death Valley isn't only dunes, though, and we will work with volcanic terrain, the salt flats of Badwater and the wild architecture of Scotty's Castle and a visit to the ruins of an old Nevada mining town. In all, our travels will take us from 8600 feet at Whitney Portal to 282 ft below sea level, the lowest point in the Continental US!

This is a field photography workshop and is open to all formats and working methods analog and digital, black-and-white and color. Please go to our website for more information.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Water Works: New paintings by Penny Otwell Exhibit & Reception


WATER WORKS: New Paintings by Penny Otwell
April 14 - May 25, 2010
THE ANSEL ADAMS GALLERY
Yosemite Valley, Village Mall

You are invited to a reception at the gallery on
Thursday, April 15 (TAX DAY) from 4 - 6 p.m.


This collection of new paintings was inspired by the magnificence of water in the Yosemite Sierra. Spring's melting of winter snow rushes into waterfalls, clean and pure, and into fast moving streams before it's slower journey down mountain. Yosemite's granite domes and cliffs continue to be sculpted from this powerful element. Sustaining life, water also delights us as we reflect our place in nature.

These new paintings are done in oil, acrylic, and watercolor and were done en plein air and in Penny's studio outside the park.

Come see the show of all new work and we hope you can attend the reception!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Remembering A 'Quiet Hero': Edgar Wayburn, 1906-2010


The Ansel Adams Gallery staff and family mourn the passing of our dear friend and lifelong conservationist Edgar Wayburn. If you are not already familiar with Ed Wayburn's long list of accomplishments in support of our environment, please read on.

News release from the San Jose Mercury News

From the Pacific Forest Trust blog-
The conservation community is remembering and celebrating one of its greatest advocates this week, following the death of Dr. Edgar Wayburn at the age of 103...... Read more

More insights on Ed Wayburn from The Sierra Club website.

The Wayburn family requests that gifts in his memory can be made to Pacific Forest Trust, Alaska Conservation Foundation, or Earth Justice Wayburn Fund (Alaska)

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Enduring Impact of Ansel Adams: Presentation in Clovis this weekend


The work of Ansel Adams has influenced generations and is very
much alive through his acclaimed artistic interpretations of nature.

On Sunday, March 21, Ansel Adams' daughter-in-law Jeanne Falk Adams will present images and discuss the "Enduring Impact of Ansel Adams" at the Unitarian Universalist Town Hall in the Sanctuary.

Jeanne Adams, daughter-in-law of Ansel Adams and a long time Fresno resident, has been involved with photography since 1971 when she took over operation of The Ansel Adams Gallery for the next 25 years. She has designed workshops and symposia, curates exhibitions, and reviews portfolios --- as well as being an activist in arts, higher education, and the environment.

The
Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno Sanctuary is located at 2672 E. Alluvial Ave. Clovis, CA 93611. Call (559) 322-6146 for more information.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Gorgeous Spring Conditions for the Paint-Out Event on the McKenzie Reserve


This past Saturday, 17 of the 24 invitational artists created works for Sierra Foothill Conservancy's Plein Air Project on the glorious McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve in Eastern Fresno County. The Foothill Invitational Exhibition will take place in Fresno (location TBA) and the Embarcadero Invitational Exhibition at the spacious San Francisco office atrium of EDAW/AECOM. Both events are tentatively scheduled for the August of 2010, specific dates to be determined. Partial proceeds from sales at these events will benefit Sierra Foothill Conservancy.

For more information on Sierra Foothill Conservancy projects and the Plein Air paint-out events and auction visit www.sierrafoothill.org/pleinair.

The Ansel Adams Gallery supports the efforts of the Sierra Foothill Conservancy to help preserve open space in the neighboring foothills and is proud to be a sponsor of the Plein Air Auction in August.

Spring is a great time to visit the foothill region on your way to Yosemite. The orchards are blooming as well as many wildflowers! All three highways leading to Yosemite from the west side of the Sierra provide a taste of the California grasslands dotted with stately oaks.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Ansel Adams Gallery® Awarded New Concession Contract in Yosemite National Park



















We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a new contract with the National Park Service to operate in Yosemite National Park. We look forward to continuing to serve Yosemite visitors for years to come.

From National Park Service Press Release....

Best's Studio, Inc. doing business as The Ansel Adams Gallery® in Yosemite National Park, was the awarded a new 10-year concession contract that became effective March 1, 2010. The Ansel Adams Gallery® has been operating in the park since 1902, making them the oldest, family owned and operated concessioner in the National Park Service. The Ansel Adams Gallery® is a photographic and art business with an emphasis on Ansel Adams and the history of art and photography in Yosemite.

In addition to selling Ansel Adams photography, the gallery also rents photographic equipment, sells photographic and art supplies, park related publications, and authentic American Indian handicrafts. The gallery also provides instruction in photographic and artistic methods and complementary visitor education programs.

Ansel Adams is inexorably associated with Yosemite and is recognized worldwide. Images of Half Dome, Inspiration Point, and El Capitan made by Ansel Adams set photographic standards of the national parks that are still respected and admired today.

“We are pleased to offer this concession contract to The Ansel Adams Gallery®. Art and photography are incredibly important to Yosemite, and all national parks, and there is no greater example than the work of Ansel Adams,” said Acting Yosemite Superintendent Dave Uberuaga.

The Ansel Adams Gallery® is located in a historic building in Yosemite Village, where Ansel Adams lived and printed some of his iconic photographs. The new concession contract runs through February 29, 2020.

Above photograph of Vernal Fall by Ansel Adams. Details about the image on our website.