Thursday Thoughts...

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”  

Ansel Adams

I imagine we nearly all know what a remarkable photographer Ansel Adams was; and his iconic black and white nature photographs convey so much. Majesty, serenity, awesomeness. Insignificance. Splendour. Timelessness. And so much more.

I like how he considers a photograph a creative process that is thought about; curated, created, and made. That as you see something unique or special; as you consider how best to frame it or present it; as you wait for the perfect light or grab the magic moment, you are making and creating.

You are not simply taking.

I sometimes wonder how somebody like him would have handled the ubiquitousness of cameras in mobile phones. The ultimate snap! And I wonder if he might have come up with another word for those snapped moments that are in thousands everywhere - somehow different to a photograph like the ones that he made.

I thought about using a photo of my own to illustrate the thought; and then thought for heaven's sake why wouldn't you choose one of his? But hard to choose!

Cathedral Peak and Lake, Yosemite National Park, California. Ansel Adams