Ansel Adams in Color

Beautiful photographs - a first peek into Ansel Adams' original color photos!

"Throughout his life Ansel remained ambivalent about color photography - a sampling of his reflections on the subject is included at the end of this book. Much of his antipathy toward color stemmed from the extremely poor quality of color photographing. Another source of his frustration was the inability to adequately translate the brilliance of a color transparency into a fine print."
-Foreward by John P. Schaefer and Andrea G. Stillman

I had always loved Ansel Adams' black and white photographs of nature. His photos of Yosemite had added to the pleasure of my trip to the National Park years ago. I hadn't known that Ansel Adams had worked in color, much less, that he had over 3,000 color transparencies. He had worked with color photography when the medium and technology was in its early stages. His frustration with the technical limitations explain why he is best known for his black and white work. However, with the developments in photography and computers, it is now possible to see his work as he would have been prepared to show it.

The photos in this book were selected by a photographer of Adams' generation and fellow member of the Detroit Camera Club who has expressed the debt he owed Adams for the direction and advice. Callahan is also highly regarded and has been described as one of America's greatest visual poets. He chose the photos based on his own aesthetic pleasure - "selecting those things that pleased me" without adjustments for historical reasons or concern for what the image might have looked like once.

The essays and text that accompany the stunning photographs give a fuller understanding of Ansel Adams' work and the development of the art of photography. This book is such a pleasure - whether you read it carefully or glance at the photographs.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Revised edition edition (October 21, 2009), 168 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

America in color!

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my copy of this wonderful book. Everyone's heard of Ansel Adams, America's foremost landscape photographer. In fact, whenever I spot a black and white landscape, I think of him. However, this eye-opening collection of spectacularly detailed color photographs expands my admiration of his work.

This volume is more than a collection of magnificent color photographs; in addition, it contains a comprehensive essay, "Quest for Color" by James L. Enyeart, photographic historian. The heavy volume concludes with "Selected Writings on Color Photography by Ansel Adams. This book would be a treasure for anyone interested in photography, art, and/or America. What a remarkable gift it would make!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Ansel Adams in Living Color!

The title says it all: "Ansel Adams in Color." Who knew that America's premier black and white photographer performed his film magic in color too? I certainly didn't.

"Ansel Adams in Color" is filled with Adams' gorgeous, technicolor, photographs along with accompanying essays. While Adams was ambivalent about working in color -- primarily due to the technical limitations at the time -- today's digital advancements allow the photos to shine. These majestic photos were taken primarily in the 40's- 50's and capture America's natural landscape at its zenith. The photographs include breathtaking shots of the Grand Canyon; Yosemite National Park; Death Valley; Hawaii; Alaska, Wyoming; and much more!

"Ansel Adams in Color" would be a welcome edition to the collection of any photographer or Adams' admirer.



Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Rev'd edition(Oct. 21, 2009), 168 pages.
Review Copy Provided Courtesy of Hachette Book Group.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

This has become my "I need a break" book. You know when you have read all the intense books, seen all the intense news, and you just need to get away? I can look at the photos (I love photography) and drift and/or read the commentary and imagine.

I think I love color photography the best because of hues and intensity and, maybe the reality of vision.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

If Anything It's Better Than Than the Original Edition

I love this book. I had a copy of the 1993 edition that I thought was really spectacular until my Labrador Puppy got a hold of it. I understand the problems of creating high quality prints from color transparencies. However, modern scanning and printing technology has overcome many of those issues and this is a truly spectacular library quality collection of Adam's lesser known work in color.

I LOVE THIS BOOK

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK TO GIVE AS A GIFT OR JUST PUT ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE FOR GLANCING AT BY YOU OR YOUR GUESTS.

OUTSTANDING!

This book is a beautiful collection of Ansel Adam's color photos brought to life for our enjoyment. I feel these photos are just as wonderful and as haunting as his black and white photos. And the historic narrative just added to the overall enjoyment of this book.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

beautiful

if you know ansel adams work you know he is an incredible artist. what he could see and then actually pick up thru his lens is awesome. his work is beautiful and i recommend it to all you love the beauty of nature.

good gift

Gave as a gift to my granddaughter who is studying photography and she loved it!

Ansel Adams stil wows all these years later...

A wonderful book on the often overlooked color photography of unquestiionably the greatest landscape photographer in Ameican history. We all are familiar of his B&W work, but when we are reminded of his color work, as in this book it is truly awe inspiring. Love the addition of historic narrative text, so it is not "just" a picture book. Some critics may be bothered of the smaller size of this book, however, the color plates are sharp and vibrant, and, if the size is why the book is so affordable, a welcome trade off.

All of Ansel Adams' work should be COLORIZED

These Ansel Adams photos appear to be original color photos. Ansel Adams is great, and all of his work should be colorized. I know there are those that want to preserve the obsolete and deny my right to see everything in color. There say the original artist should decide if his work can be colorized.

My particular vision needs good contrast, and color is easier to see. I have as much right to view art in color as does someone who can't walk have the right to use a wheel chair. Woody Allen and those who want to take these rights away are Bigots.

As a teenager, I hiked all over the Sierras (and later the Rocky's), and I always ignored Black and White Ansel Adams, so I'm so glad to see him in color.

The Rockies are more colorful than the Sierras, so check them out

I like Galen Rowell's work better. He and his wife crashed in a small plane, and we are all poorer for that.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic! Inspiring!!

Encourages me to create better photography.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Gift

I purchased this a gift for my photographer Grandson and he loves it...

Ansel Adams

A different look at the work of Ansel Adams. Most of his books are black and white while this book is in color.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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