Natural Light Photography (Ansel Adams)

 Ansel Adams. Natural Light Photography (1952) Adams was one of the greatest photographers of all time. He understood the technical problems of the medium thoroughly. In his quest for photographs that reproduced what the viewer of the scene perceived and felt he manipulated exposure, development, and printing shamelessly. Nowadays, the algorithms built into our digital cameras perform calculations and judgements similar to his. The result is that we can make technically nearly flawless images. The onus is now on selection of subject and composition, which is, not at all paradoxically, a more difficult and intuitive an art than technical perfection.
     This book, #4 in a series of six on Basic Photography, is a valuable reference for anyone making photographs with film, especially if one has the filters listed by Adams. His Zone system of determining exposure is essential. Our digital cameras, which use multi-point exposure and algorithms, perform the Zone system calculations for us. His discussion of how to compensate for the different light sensitivities of different films remind us that the sensors in our digital cameras suffer from the same inconsistencies, and the algorithms can’t always compensate. As with film, we may have to wait for changes in the light, or manipulate it.
     Even for digital photography, Adams’s insistence on paying attention to the light is his most valuable contribution. It’s the light that creates the impression we want to see in the final print. Whatever technology the photographer uses, they must know and understand how their devices capture the light. The flat light from an overcast sky or open shade, the brilliant light from a clear sky or direct sun, the reflected light from nearby walls, trees, snow etc, all these affect how the final image will look. Adams knew from long experience and careful note taking how to use his “instruments” to make his pictures.
     Despite the obsolescence of many of the technical specifications, this is still an s essential book. Skip the tech data, and concentrate on what Adams says about light and its effects.
     The printing technology used is basic letter press and halftone images. These cannot reproduce the subtle range of greys of the photographic prints. Even so, study of the pictures will help anyone wanting to make better images. Recommended. ****