Ansel Adams’ Most Famous Rookie Mistake

[Sirius Glass]

https://www.anseladams.com/ansel-ad...ail&utm_term=0_0d054159f0-7604195f31-27287073

 

[logan2z]

Great story.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I remember reading that in his autobiography.

 

[BAC1967]

There's a look of distrust in every child's face in that photo.

 

[Donald Qualls]

That sounds like a moderate to severe case of reading the wrong line in a table. Lucky no one was hurt, but I bet those kids were seeing spots for hours...

 

[Luckless]

That sounds like a moderate to severe case of reading the wrong line in a table. Lucky no one was hurt, but I bet those kids were seeing spots for hours...

That, or a 'math is hard...' kind of mistake. I've made many of those over the years.

 

[Donald Qualls]

That, or a 'math is hard...' kind of mistake. I've made many of those over the years.

And Ansel did admit, in one of his books, that he was never very good at math -- and then dove right into concentration formulae...

 

[pentaxuser]

Nice story of the "none of us is perfect" variety. Then I thought a little deeper about the group. It always makes me sad to see pictures of kids and then to realise that there is not one of them left alive. Before the arrival of photography you could not really reach out and almost grasp the reality of life and then realise its inherent sadness as epitomised by kids.

pentaxuser

 

[btaylor]

Wow- that’s pretty dark, pentaxuser. Maybe another perspective would be they went on to live mostly happy lives? It all comes to an end, does that need to be sad? I do get your point though about photography arresting a moment that can then be experienced in a way 100 years later- it truly is a bit strange when you think about it.

 

[pentaxuser]

btaylor, thanks for the response. Yes life is dark and what is happening with COVID-19 for instance makes me realise how suddenly dark and arbitrary it can become. Photography capturing a "live" moment in time of a scene in which none are still alive is unique. It reaches out and touches me in a way a painting never could.

pentaxuser

 

[tezzasmall]

I've just chuckled at the flash powder story. I'm sure that I've made some mistakes over the years, but none that big!

But thinking about it, wouldn't it be great if there was a picture of the original composition taken inside the building, to show along side the outdoors one?

Gratefully no one was hurt, but those facial expressions must have been good and definitely would have added value to Mr A's story!

Terry S