Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Quote of the Week - Ansel Adams

"We are confronted today with a dichotomy; as our equipment and materials constantly grow in scope and quality the creative and technical standards appear to be diminishing; there is a near-cult of photographers who seem to intentionally avoid the beautiful and precise image, concentrating only on subject and obvious function. My personal reaction to this attitude is a determination to go as far in the opposite direction as possible. I believe in the most beautiful and appropriate prints, and the most clarifying and revealing approach of mind, heart, and craft. I believe that firm objectives in this direction can fulfill the promise of photography as one of the great visual arts. However, we must always be logical in our critical estimates; most of photography is not intended as art and should not be judged as such. But if art is intended, compromise must not be tolerated"

- Ansel Adams

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great quote from one the best...ever.

DROZDOWSKI said...

I disagree, quote:

Good photography is not about ‘Zone Printing’ or any other Ansel Adams nonsense. It’s just about seeing.
~Elliot Erwitt

J. Wesley Brown said...

Well, I don't think Erwitt had ever come across the level of egregiousness taking place today when he said that. I don't think Adams ever reduced good photography to printing techniques either.