Digital BW, The Print

Considering all the various versions of "Moonrise---" that I've seen (printed by AA) I'm not too sure about his unerring previsualization.

Ian




Message: 17        
   Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 19:58:15 -0000

   From: "Johnny Eades" <jeades1@...>
Subject: Re: For You Ansel Adams Fans

This was the skill and genius of Ansel. He saw the finished print 
before making the exposure. Knowing his technique to the degree that 
he could do that is his legacy to the photographic community. Making 
it second nature prepared him for almost any scene encountered. Now I 
know some will jump on me about that statement, but it's a gift to be 
able to envision the finished print and know how to take the existing 
image as captured and turn it into the finished print with 
reproducable abilities time after time. The majority of that Zone 
System can be applied to our digital efforts as well as to film. The 
steps may differ, but they will lead us to the finished print in a 
more predictable manner than point and shoot and then rely on either 
darkroom efforts or computer software efforts to create the print. 
This is only one method we can use, but FOR ME, it is my PERSONAL 
choice.

Your friend in Photography,

Johnny

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> Considering all the various versions of "Moonrise---" 
> that I've seen (printed by AA) I'm not too sure about 
> his unerring previsualization.

I'm afraid this statement and the one before it betrays some confusion
of terms. Adams' technique called 'previsualization' was never
described (by him) as a method by which he could insure all future
prints from his negative were identical. Nor that the prints would be
exactly as he imagined at the time of exposure. Instead, it was a
technique whereby the necessary elements for an aesthetically
effective print of the scene could be captured in the negative at the
time of exposure, by imagining how such a print of the scene might look.

As for the prints themselves, his book "Examples" and his
correspondence make very clear that he intended his printing to evolve
according to both technical considerations (such as the availability
of new materials and processes as time passed), and his changing
aesthetic sensibilities.

I'm not suggesting we all have to like Adams' work; just saying that
we shouldn't press "previsualization" too hard....

--
Jeff Medkeff
Eagle River, Alaska