Actual Photo

Now that we've marveled at your lunch plate, laughed at your cat in a pumpkin costume and been rocked by the blurry, blown-out shot of the band you saw last night, one thing's for certain: The last thing this world needs is another photograph. Now that a snapshot's as simple...

By Patrick Michels

May 27, 2010

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Now that we've marveled at your lunch plate, laughed at your cat in a pumpkin costume and been rocked by the blurry, blown-out shot of the band you saw last night, one thing's for certain: The last thing this world needs is another photograph. Now that a snapshot's as simple as whipping out your phone and hitting the button, it's worth a look back at a time when taking a picture was a royal pain in the ass. Lugging his big camera, glass plates and tripod over the roughest terrain the National Park system could throw his way, Ansel Adams set the stage for the generations of photographers (and environmentalists) that followed him. After picking out remote spots where the light was just right, Adams obsessed over his black and white prints--fine inspiration for the mountain of mashed potatoes in your next iPhone masterpiece. Check out 40 of his prints, from landscapes to lesser-known portraits, in Ansel Adams: Eloquent Light, hanging through November 7 at the Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth. Adams' son Michael will be on hand to discuss his father's work in a free lecture on June 10 at 6 p.m. Call 817-738-1933 or visit cartermuseum.org for more info.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: May 29. Continues through Nov. 7, 2010

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