Ansel Adams: Wow!

So Saturday Jamelah and I headed for the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson to see the Ansel Adams Masterworks exhibit. Like many I have enjoyed his photos and was plain excited, you know; like a kid on the way to Cedar Pointe.

There were other exhibits there also and I enjoyed them all; especially one by a local photographer, Jennie L. Green. Ms. Green was an elementary teacher and took pictures of life around Jackson in the late 1800s/early 1900s until her death sometime in the 40s. She had received some acclaim and had exhibits in several places in her lifetime. The fact that she had to develop her own pictures really impressed me. I don't know how I thought film (well plates, actually) were developed back in the day. I had never thought about that at all. Mom has mentioned a few times that my grandfather had developed pictures at home he had taken when they were kids. I think I figured he had to do that because they lived way out in the boonies. I guess I'm just letting you know how truly "without a clue" I am about some things. Anyway, her photos were really interesting and some were very beautiful.

We were dilly-dallying around because we could hear someone up ahead of us holding forth about Adam's photos and, well me anyway, just wanted to go in and LOOK. So when the chatterer was far enough ahead we entered the gallery with the gallery. Oh My! I have a coffee table book (dumb name for a book) of Adams pictures, but still. seeing the originals. matted and framed. hanging on the wall. Oh My!

Jamelah liked to look and then get her nose right up to the glass and study carefully all the details in the photo. I liked to stand back and try to find the best light (there were reflections fm things hanging in the adjoining gallery. this annoyed me) and try to stand right in front to find the spot where he stood when he took the picture. I wanted to see what he saw.

My favorite print, and evidently evidently everyone's was titled "Moonrise" and you can see it
here

They were selling prints in the gift shop, but all copies of this photo had sold so they are ordering one for me. I am excited to get the print. We have a place in the dining room all picked out for it. Yea!

Part of the exhibit showed the cameras he had used. I smiled at their seeming familiarity knowing I was totally wrong.

Altogether it was a great time and if you are around here the exhibit will be on display through September 4.