Looking at Ansel Adams: The Photographs and the Man

Few photographers have had more impact on America than Ansel Adams, and we are very excited to be able to celebrate his birthday with his former assistant, Andrea Stillman. Andrea's talk will be an intimate look at the photographer and the man. Said an attendee at one of her museum lectures, "You made Ansel come to life for all of us."
Here is what Andrea has to say about working with Ansel: "I first met Ansel in 1972 when he came to New York to discuss an exhibition of his photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I worked. I was immediately impressed by his open friendly demeanor, his sense of humor and his modesty. We worked together for two years on his retrospective, and after it opened in the spring of 1974 he asked me to move to Carmel and become his assistant. I leapt at the chance, and for the next six years I worked for Ansel in his home studio. He always had a photographic assistant to help in the darkroom, so I did everything else. This included managing the sale of hundreds of his photographs - everything from telling Ansel which negative to print to approving the final mounted photograph and writing the title on the back. I also edited his writing and lectures and worked with him on innumerable books of his photographs -- selecting the images, assisting with the production, and working on press to assure the best reproductions. I also accompanied him on many trips to open exhibitions and promote new books. One of my last tasks was to organize his extensive archive. It included an enormous correspondence with artists like Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Edward Weston and hundreds of his photographs made over more than fifty years--ranging from a unique 3 1⁄4x4 1⁄4inch contact print of lodgepole pines in the High Sierra made when he was nineteen years old to an enormous 40 x 60 inch mural size print of Mount McKinley made in the 1960s. In addition I produced a one-hour documentary on his life for public television."
Andrea G. Stillman's Site
andreastillman.net/

[@palmer426]

Extraordinary - thank you!

[@onthecorneroftheoryandtrut7951]

Ignore the trash talk. This is a great talk, and offers incredible insight about the man, Ansel Adams.

[@markhagestad332]

I was lucky enough to attend a workshop put on by the 'Center for Creative Photography' in Carmel back in 1980 in which Ansel participated as one of the instructors. We had the privilege of visiting Ansel's home, hearing him speak, answer questions, tour the darkroom, etc. for what was at least a couple of hours. I was lucky and grabbed the spot next to him on the sofa for the q & a session and got my share of questions answered. I remember I had made up a list of questions to ask in case the other students were too awestruck. The session finished off with Virginia serving coffee and cookies while the group had the chance to visit with each other and some with Ansel. I remember thinking even at the time how gracious he was to invite such a mob of people into his home. I thanked him and he responded 'it's just part of the job', then chuckled. I watched your video with rapt attention last evening but since it was obviously a video I couldn't ask a question at the end. So here goes, I've often wondered since I know that a lot of photographers are at least as fascinated by all the photographic gadgetry and related paraphernalia and bragging about their latest new camera acquisition as they are in actually making a photograph (maybe more). Did Ansel ever exhibit much fascination over all the gadgets or were they merely just the tools of his trade needed to 'do the job' ? I think the symptom I'm talking about is related to a phrase we use such as 'the camera is taking the picture' rather the photographer is making a photograph. (By the way, I ordered your book from Amazon before the video was over.... great stuff!)

[@BandH]

Most of them do end up online, but sometimes presenters want to keep their presentations exclusive to a live audience. Thanks for your interest.

[@haimtoeg]

She’s such a fabulous story teller, I sat riveted through the entire lecture. Thank you!

[@BandH]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AmiVider]

I learn something new every day even after decades of hearing stories about Adams, thanks for posting

[@TaiChiBeMe]

Oh, I think Ms. Stillman did a terrific job at painting a personal portrait of Mr. Adams. Her recollections ring true and accurate. The stories of his humor and dedication to his craft and art are most valuable. The aspect of Ansel's eye changing in late life are very illuminating. His refusal to accept criticism of his prints are noteworthy. Being adamant at determining the quality of his work depended solely on how he "saw." The brain processes information differently for everyone; this is why some folks are "color blind." Nevertheless a beautiful print to a "color blind" person is still beautiful to him/her. In those cases, we (who are not "color blind") may be the blind ones. When you are commissioned to print for others, such as I was for many years, this is a reality that profession print makers have to deal with. Hence, what does one do when he is in charge. Since Ansel stopped doing commercial work when he was 68 years old (or somewhere near there) does making a print that looks too light for (to himself) constitute oneself prostituting his art? It takes a real change of heart and mind to begin to listen to others when getting old. I printed for Robert Cameron when he was in his 90s, and he was already blind in one eye. He gracefully stepped out of the decision making process (on deciding on the quality of his prints) when he met me. Instead he trusted the advice of his close friends and work colleagues. I will always be grateful for the friendship and trust that Bob showed me. I feel that Ms. Stillman gave us a bit of that (gratefulness towards Ansel Adams).

[@RayUrnerphoto]

This was awesome, thank you!!

[@osmanalfurayh1240]

Amazing how the real story sounds from the perspective of some one who knew the artist. I enjoyed the talk and understood many things other were talking about much better, thank you for such authentic and honest talk.

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Wonderful & Thanks for sharing :)

[@cccycling5835]

It’s impressive how much of the photographic process still applies to digital photography, it’s just a lot more accessible and easier than ever to do so. I’m from California and Monterey and so much of my own photography is influenced by Ansel.

[@oceandrew]

Awesome presentation... thank you. It's always illuminating to hear the history without technical distractions.

[@tommartin9731]

Delightful and informative. Thank you Ms Stillman and B&H.

[@cepwin]

Fascinating talk! Another great presentation from the Event Space.

[@riccapucho]

Amusing, informed, inspiring. What a wonderful lady giving a wonderful talk about the wonderful work of a wonderful artist.

[@ForensicCats]

1:11:37 excellent point(s) raised and so glad you at B&H are part of this share. Thanks again.

[@jcornfoot]

I didn't get to B&H on my last trip to NYC and arrived in time to see the great rush out the door at 1pm. so bummed. But i saw this on the window and wished i would of come to check out the store sooner .thank you for posting this .

[@tvsuncanilijek7477]

Thank you lady

[@BandH]

Sorry you missed it. You can see our calendar of Event Space presentation and sign up for the monthly schedule email here: bhphotovideo{dot}com/find/EventSpace.jsp

[@ForensicCats]

58:34 this is so cool to share about the best steaks and the best lens and lifestyle --beautiful.

[@JasonRStimpson]

I turned down my volume a while back and just started reading the comments now. I guess it's not just me.

[@ForensicCats]

22:30 "when I was working for Ansel..." nice.

[@gasperini88]

Do all the event space eventually end up here in youtube? there's a bunch i would love to go but living in Florida is a bit of an issue :)

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

19:29 😅😮 She's rather free with the personal comments.

[@Baltorocket]

I find nothing wrong with her, this is not a ted talk, it’s typical of most lectures I’ve ever sat in.

[@PugetExposure]

would have been nice to have large high rez scans of all his work to be projected onto the screen vs thumbnail sized images

[@Reuben1024]

Another enjoyable talk from Event Space. It was interesting to see this alternative view of Ansel's life. His prints are truely spectacular and would recommend to anyone interested in landscape to view the real prints - not just online images of them. He was truely a master of the craft of the darkroom.

[@ForensicCats]

Google Earth is the new Ansel Adams... They needed T.V. then. LOL

[@thomaspopple2291]

I was looking forward to watching this but the presentation is not well done. 5 minutes in and I am out of here.

[@victorcarmelo8606]

I bought and loved her book on the same subject and of the same title but have to agree wth others that her voice and manner of speaking spoils the presentation entirely. Pity.

[@dmarker21]

Why would you throw out a working three-hole punch from 1890 that belonged to your boss?

[@Delphisteve]

Thats an 8x10" Korona on top the car

[@kevinwright7319]

True. This women is stumbling the whole time.

[@life_xplorers]

her way of talking is making me nervous. i wanted to know something about ansel adams but she is so difficult to listen to...

[@keylupveintisiete7552]

Oh, poor baby.

[@JoeGP]

i was expecting something about Ansels photography work, not home movies and a stuttering lady, i just couldn't watch even half of it.

[@cjoe6908]

She worked for Ansel and talked about Ansel. And Ansel liked her work so much that she worked for him for years.

[@halgage8964]

Sorry, but Ansel is not wearing a pork pie hat.

[@yvesbajulaz]

she just keeps on bagging on Mr Adams... just let it go lady whatever your biff is...

[@aaronduarte9508]

This is hard to watch.....

[@marcp.1752]

Mrs. Stillmann makes me nervous, too....stuttering, and her way of talk doesn't is the best way for doing this, she speaks too fast, too much em..err....etc...hard to follow. Doesn't do Ansels legendary work Justice.

[@leFergid]

could have, would have, shouldt have been a nice video if the woman who presented it could actually speak a sentence without a stutter :(

[@mikemolloy625]

Can't even get 20 mins in... This is awful

[@LegendaryAIRJordan]

Horribly confused speaker, disrespectful at some points, she doesn't do justice to Adams' legacy!

[@Daniel7Mc]

Third time I've tried to watch this, but I just can't take this annoying speaker after a few minutes.

[@jdeyykm2365]

Terrible story teller that woman

[@Leedals]

Wow, ya this woman is really opinionated. No one cares what you think about his pictures!

[@mjjeffrey7571]

I love B/W's and I dearly love Ansel Adams works of art but I did NOT like the lady on the video and quit watching after 6 minutes. She was just too opinionated for me. Be kind and if you can't say something nice......well, don't say anything at all.