Ansel Adams I’m Not #2
In the early summer, I visited Manzanar Relocation Camp in The Owens Valley. I attempted to replicate the feelings that Ansel Adams captured in his famous image of the cemetary memorial and posted it here in an effort to get some criticism. Apparently, I did not do a good job of getting the feeling across, according to the comments received.
A few months ago, I went back and tried again. Here is my second attempt followed by Ansel Adams’ image.
Ansel Adams Manzanar Cemetary Memorial from the Library of Congress
Remember, I am not trying to copy Ansel Adams’ image. I am trying to capture the essence of what he captured; the feeling and the mood.
Please tell me what you think.
Tags: Ansel Adams, Images, Photography
Posted in Photography Trips and Photos 2 years, 2 months ago at 12:12 pm. 3 comments
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Very good
very different images clearly with many different feelings envoked but the same emotional magnitude i would say. The presence of the mountains in his image as such a dominant force focuses much more on the solidarity and the humility of the memorial itself, while in you image the open landscape gives more of a shared feeling, as in the instance that occured was not something isolated but something that we can all recognize. The silver lining around the cloud and the top of the memorial is also very cool, good effect for some hope symbolism. I like this one a lot, maybe even better than the original
Wow. The sunset – the mountains in the back… wow.
You’ve chosen a symmetrical composition – Adams chose a rule-of thirds style. I think that symmetrical composition is really hard to pull off – even if you have a triangle style composition. Mostly, symmetrical reads as “formal” and “static”. In Adam’s work I sense a vector of time – the composition leads, and then things like the poles/chains leading to dead tree add to that vector…
With the sky being so awesome – I’d come back at sunrise. (this is at sunset right?) Then I’d use the sky and the mountains as the lead in this picture and take advantage of the long shadows from the memorial tying to the sky shape) …
I.e. This DeChirico painting:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SZekRLdFEow/Rnl3nRqIZeI/AAAAAAAAASQ/xiApa7OUiGE/s800/chirico_mystery.jpg
Side note – I’ve observed that composition’s a PITA for photographers…I’ve been painting a lot these last 3 months and I believe composition’s way harder for photographers than for painters…Painters get to design and connect shapes they way they want. When was the last time you got to design a photo? But when I listen to Artie Morris or sanzen on flickr or other greats, I note that they almost always “influence” a composition for success. From what little I remember of his life story, I believe Adams was of the same vein. [Note how he has the memorial's shadow aiming at the pylons, which then aim at the dead tree.. - the man's a master]. So there you go. Composition – a constant challenge
One of these days I’ll have to visit Manzanar. Looks like an intriguing place.
I like all three images and I like this image better than your first. Your first image made me focus on the distant mountains after glancing at the monument. This second image has me focus on only the monument and its relationship to the sun and clouds. While it is a terrific effect to have the sun behind the top of the monument, the effect is so surreal that I find it distracting. I have the same distraction whenever I look at a Thomas Kincaide painting. I am focusing on the light, not the rest of the image.
Without the starkness of the mountains, I again lose the sense of desolation or the feeling of the hardships they endured. I can sense the “ghosts” in AA image. Ghosts in the figurative sense of course.
To use Peyton’s comment in your first post, in this image you focused on the subject but the story is still missing.
Is it considered photo heresy to use photoshop to increase the contrast of the background? Wasn’t AA known for his darkroom abilities? I don’t know the ethics of this. My apologies if you find my suggestion offensive.
The loss of contrast also turns it into a two dimensional image. Your image essentially stops at the last pylon.
About the background. Why are the mountains in AA’s image so much closer than in your image? Plate tectonics?
Probably a smoggy haze. I know you weren’t trying to duplicate AA image but do you think he was on a ladder to get the top of the monument below the mountain’s ridgeline or were you shooting low?
Nice job again. Like I said before, I like this image more than your first. You have more patience than I to wait for the sun to be in exactly the right position!