Witches, Demons And Hooded Monks

[poliphilo]

Ansel Adams' idea of photography was man meets mountain and their love is pure;  he thought it wicked to manipulate an image.  William Mortensen's idea of photography was man meets bare-naked lady in a studio and scribbles all over the resulting image until it looks like one of those etchings you might invite a date upstairs to examine. Adams hated Mortensen and Mortensen's success with the vulgar (who included Hollywood folk) and got Mortensen kicked out of the history books. At least, that's what it says here. In their time Adams passed for a modernist but- now- with the manipulation of digital images being not only easy but respectable- it's Mortensen who looks like the prophet. And he did it the hard way. God only knows how he achieved some of his results.

I have some sympathy with Adams. Mortensen's sabbats and torture chambers are hokey but compelling. You see one of his pictures, you want to rifle through the whole portfolio. They're like sweeties. They won't do you any good but...

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I would rather look at Adams' photos any time. He knew about light and exposure and time of day and everything. But...everyone to his or her own taste.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think the world of photography is broad enough to accomodate them both.

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

I find this fascinating because I am fascinated by the art and culture of horror. His work came out right before the Universal Studio series of horror movies that have now become classics, and are deeply ingrained in American culture.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He's a link. He relates to 19th century artists like Goya, Daumier and Wiertz on the one hand- and the 20th century horror classics on the other.

Also he's an amazing craftsman.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Adams loathed that fuzzy stuff. I'm with him. Besides, he played kick-ass piano.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't see why I can't like both.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

I must admit to have a liking for Adams as well but the ones by Nortensen are quite disturbing and slightly voyeuristic.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

They're naughty- but nice.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't consider Adams nearly so pure. =:D He was perfectly happy - and entirely reasonably so - with dodging and burning, compositing, and all manner of manipulation. The results were beautiful, even if nobody really agreed at the time - his prints were all but free for a long time.

He indulged in plenty of manipulation, just of a darkroom nature, where we can now play in Aperture and Lightroom. At the end of it all, a moment's photographic magic often rests on what immediate reaction it evokes, rather than how perfectly authentic it is to reality. For me, the ideal lies in remaining faithful to the real scene, whilst permitting subtle adjustments. I'll seldom alter my photographs very much, beyond modest tweaks, intending to hone their presence, but not to convey a scene that wasn't there.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've only recently learned how to manipulate images in the computer- and now I see it as an integral part of the process. There aren't many pictures I post that haven't been tweaked a bit.