Sunday 7 April 2013

Ansel Adams Exhibition

We had a good day in Greenwich yesterday with my Dad and his wife. We went to see the Ansel Adams exhibition at the Maritime Museum and it was lovely. I have seen a few of his photographs before but to see so many together was great. The exhibition gave me a peaceful feeling, with the many images of sea, rivers, mountains, forest and moon. Even the photos from when he was very young show what a talent he had. At first he followed the current fashion for making photographs look like paintings, but he soon began to use the medium for itself rather than in imitation of something else. 
A few of my favourite pictures: one of the seashore at night, with the moon in the distance and reflecting on the water and the waves looking so soft breaking on the beach, the sun reflected in water with grass floating in it, and an amazing scene called 'Clearing Winter Storm', taken in Yosemite national park. Having said that it is hard to choose favourites. 
As well as the beauty of the photographs and his feeling for the landscape that shone out, it was also impressive to think of the technical ability he had. Particularly when it came to some huge prints. He managed these by projecting the image onto developing paper at a horizontal angle across his studio, and then joining the parts of the image to make the whole. Sounds easier than it was I am sure. 
 It was a sunny day-at last-and even quite warm in the afternoon.
 This is one of the many figureheads on show in the museum. 
This is the one I want to take home-I am sure I could find a spot for it here somewhere.
 I liked this display of lanterns in the doorway.
 After lunch we popped up to the top of the park. I do love Greenwich. It has so much to love! 
We found the café at the observatory, which did a lovely cup of tea and some cake (to add to all the cake we had already eaten-the cookies went down best with my Dad so I sent him home with a few)
Today I have actually not done much-deliberately because I seem to give myself all these tasks to do each day when all I want to do is to sit down and do something nice. So today has been reading, crocheting, painting, and only a slight amount of washing and d.i.y. (more on that later). Tomorrow I don't know-maybe some more crocheting. I hope your weekend had some sun and some relaxation in it.

4 comments:

Leenie said...

I'm so jealous of your opportunity to see Ansel Adams originals. That's one of the bad things about living so far from a big city. The only way we get to see museum displays like that is to travel for hours. It's also amazing to note that Mr. Adams lugged large format cameras and tripods to out-of-the-way places in all kinds of weather.

Loved the lanterns in the window.

Linda Sue said...

Thank you for taking me there again with your eyes! I loved going there with my Norwegian friends- up to the top and into the observatory for a mind blowing show! LOVE that little corner of the world. We get so much Ansel Adams here, I never get tired of looking at his work. So inspiring especially because of the various hues of black through white- genius!

lynne h said...

sarah, i'm glad that you took it easy after your lovely day out... : )

xoxo

Tracy said...

We are sorry to be missing that Ansel Adams exhibit--we LOVE his photography. And we've just GOT to get ourselves to Greenwich! ;o) Great photos, Sarah... I especially like the soft flow of all those lanterns. Happy Week ((HUGS))