Knowing your gear matters: Take a trip back in time with Ansel Adams to Hernandez, New Mexico

 

 

Ansel Adams' "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico" is one of his most well-known photographs with Adams making over 1,300 prints of it during his career. A print was auctioned by Sotheby's in 2006 for over $600,000.

Part of what makes the photo particularly interesting is how it was created. Adams, his son Michael and friend/photographer Cedric Wright were on a road trip around the American west when Adams saw the now famous scene from US Route 84-285.

You can read more about the history of the photograph, including Ansel Adams relying on his knowledge of the moon's luminance in making the exposure after being unable to find his light meter, here. Marc Silber has been in contact with the Ansel Adams Gallery and the Adams family and has been given never before released footage of Adams revisiting Hernandez, New Mexico.

So sit back and take a trip through time with one of America's finest photographers.

It's interesting to hear Ansel's son Michael discuss how his father's darkroom practices changed over the course of his career. Just as most working professionals today rely on Photoshop and other software to bring their artistic vision to life, Ansel incorporated the darkroom into his overall workflow and relied upon it to share his art with the world.

To see more from Marc Silber, visit his website and YouTube channel.