Yesterday I took some time out and tripped over to Greenwich to see the exhibition of Ansel Adams photo prints. Brilliant, just brilliant.
Adams came in just after the beginning or modern photography and pretty much defined the style from which vast amount of modern snappery is derived. No Adams and I guess we'd all be trying to replicate Constable and Gainsborough. The prints are fantastic (apart from one or two I thought rather run of the mill for an exhibition) and a great way to spend two or three hours.
One of the highlights was a rolling film show covering his life and times, including an interview with the great man in his later years. He mentions he has come across a digital photo scanner and is impressed by the possibilities such a device would open up for his stock of negatives. I don't know if he ever invested in a scanner but that comment brought a smile to my face, I might lob it in the direction of those of my acquaintance who think photography belongs only in the analogue realm.
Another smile moment was the mention of Adams starting his photographic career with a Kodak Box Brownie. Yet again the conjunction of Kodak and image making; not printers or document scanners, no Kodak = photography. Earlier in the day I'd been to the funeral procession for Margaret Thatcher and seen a mass of people snapping away with the cameras on their smartphones. Each one a prime opportunity for Kodak.
No comments:
Post a Comment