Ansel Adam & PP (Page 2): He died in '84 had at least 20 years to do color. Everybody develped by inspection when he did a lot of his work. they all used ortho films that you could...

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

stan0301 wrote:

Ansel used every technique known to man to make the image captured by the camera--(starting with developing by inspection) through printing--match the image he envisioned in his mind--I have no doubt, were he still with us he would be shooting in color (which he very much wanted to do) and printing with Photoshop--again to make the image captured by his camera match the image he had in his mind.
Stan

He died in '84 had at least 20 years to do color. Everybody develped by inspection when he did a lot of his work. they all used ortho films that you could develope with a save light. and he did frown on some of the techniques of the day. He still was not the great manupulator folks make him out to be. - Dave

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

In most his writings he states that he did not want to do color. He did shoot color for Kodak when they were improving Kodachrome. Also, he died in 1984, Kodachrome came out in 1935. That is 49 years to do color. He said that he did not like it for lack of control, so maybe today he would do color. But most likely not.

rebride

wilsondl2 wrote:

quote=stan0301 Ansel used every technique known t... (show quote)

RAW = developing latent image 'by inspection'.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

Actually, color negative was "liberated" from Germany at the end of WWII, prior to that Kodachrome had come along in 1935. When I worked with Ansel in Yosemite I can assure you that he was very interested in working with color, and had tried to do the same sorts of things with it that he had perfected with B&W--Except the eye would not accept the "manipulated" print thus produced. With B&W he would commonly spend an hour--often more printing a single print.
Stan

TomS Loc: The California Delta

I saw an interview with Ansel Adams' son at the Ansel Adams Galllelry in Yosemite...not sure of the year. He said that his father would have loved Photo Shop.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

stan0301 wrote:

Actually, color negative was "liberated" from Germany at the end of WWII, prior to that Kodachrome had come along in 1935. When I worked with Ansel in Yosemite I can assure you that he was very interested in working with color, and had tried to do the same sorts of things with it that he had perfected with B&W--Except the eye would not accept the "manipulated" print thus produced. With B&W he would commonly spend an hour--often more printing a single print.
Stan

Not quite correct. Kodachrome was first and Agfacolor followed but this was before WW II. During WW II, Agfa and Kodak continued development imdependently, Kodak did not get its technology from Agfa.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

selmslie wrote:

quote=stan0301 Actually, color negative was "... (show quote)

Yep, Kodachrome was actually being tested in 1922.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

Interesting--thanks--I know Kodachrome basically came from a pair of musicians who used passages of music to time their chemicals.
Stan

frangeo Loc: Texas

wilsondl2 wrote:

In the ongoing debate between purest do it in the camera folks and the PP folks Ansel Adams is brought up as a great PP in the darkroom. His analogy of a Composer writing a score and then injects personal expressive interpretations on the basic patterns of the notes. Sounds like PP guy. And he goes on to say I see no reason why any control that is of purely photographic nature is not valid. However, I believe that the border line of good taste usually lies this side of retouching or emmmployment of texture screens, diffusion and distortion devices, paper negatives, and methods such as bromoil and gum printing. Looks like he is saying just a little PP is OK. Another quote We should know what we desire in our print before we expose the negative the above quotes were from Ansel Adams book The Print.

Now what he could do in PP in a B&W darkroom. 1 - Push or pull while developing his negative to control how dense the negative will be. 2 Pick the paper to control texture, finish, contrast, etc. 3 crop the negative 4 expose the negative to his liking (used a test strip or print that is exposed in different sections to see what exposure is best) Do the burning and dodging he plans. You have less than a minute to do this. Mr. Adams did some time planning what he was going to do. 5 - Tilt the easel to straighten lines. (I dont think he did much of this. 6 under or over develop the print so it comes out right. (dont think he did this either) 7 Tone the Print. 8 polarize this is where you turn a white light on then off while the print is developing and it turns some of the blacks white and whites black. Never saw an Adams print that used this affect. Thats about what he could do but if anyone knows of more please post it. The one other thing he did was spot the dust spots on his prints. Anyone who printed exposition prints know that you will have them on big prints.

He did not get out the airbrush as the real PP of that day did.

I am very neutral on the debate - I think eash should do what he likes and he should respect others and let them do their thing without making a big deal about their way is better. I just dont think Ansel Adams should be used as an example of someone who did a lot of PP if you do please post why and give examples of how he did the PP. - Dave

In the ongoing debate between purest do it in the... (show quote)

Fact. Adams famous Moons Rise is a poorly exposed neg. His genius in the lab made it what it is today. One of the most recognized photographs in history. This debate is a waste of time. It's like which came first , the chicken or the egg. All the great images you have seen in the magazines for years were retouched by hand. Today we use a mouse. Spend your time beating this to death or go out and shoot and become a real photographer.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

Interesting--maybe the print I saw at his place wasn't a contact print--I never saw the neg--anyway I sure wish I had given him the $25 he wanted for it.
Stan

frangeo Loc: Texas

stan0301 wrote:

Interesting--maybe the print I saw at his place wasn't a contact print--I never saw the neg--anyway I sure wish I had given him the $25 he wanted for it.
Stan

Wow!!! did you see his multiple light enlarger??

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

Yes, but never used it.
Stan