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“My picture of the statue at the Long Beach cemetery…was done as a quasi-surrealistic thing. I just saw the improbability of this weeping angel & the oil derricks. It had no definite meaning. . . People read into that all kind of things. . .

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” — LBJ Sept 29, 1965, White House Rose Garden: President Johnson presents Ansel Adams with a pen from the signing of the Arts & Humanities Act. *To defend the arts is to protect our democracy.*

“We were in the shadow of the mountains, the light was cool and quiet & no wind was stirring. The aspen trunks were slightly greenish and the leaves were a vibrant yellow. The forest floor was covered with a tangle of russet shrubs. It was very quiet.” — A.A. ‘Aspens, Northern New Mexico,’ 1958.

“How do you keep yourself grounded? And how do you know who you are through all of this?” — Kimi Kodani Hill, granddaughter of painter Chiura Obata “Many of the Nisei have suffered spiritual and psychological wounds that may never entirely heal.” — Ansel Adams www.altaonline.com/culture/art/...

Congress wants to overturn land plans in AK, MT & ND—gutting protections for wildlife, recreation & Tribally-important lands. If they succeed, it could unravel how ALL public lands are managed. Call (855) 980-5638 and tell your rep to vote NO on the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions.

Brooding skies over Monument Valley…🏜 It’s summer 2025, but we’re already curating AA’s 2027 calendars. This 1937 photograph is on our short list for November. Picture it printed in rich duotone at 10x13”—too moody or perfect for the season? Also: 2026 calendars are now LIVE! Link in bio) 🤠📆

‘Petroglyphs, Monument Valley, Utah,’ 1958. Photograph by Ansel Adams.

A glimpse of how photographic chemistry shaped Ansel’s early vision circa 1925: Left: Mount Clarence King, Pool — panchromatic plate (records red, green, blue). Clouds appear dramatic. Right: Kearsarge Pinnacles — orthochromatic plate (no red sensitivity). Sky washes out. #worldphotographyday

Ansel’s political life didn’t happen behind a camera — he made art for its own sake. Alongside his career as a photographer, he had a 2nd career as an activist: meetings, phone calls, letters, lobbying. Sometimes his images helped the cause. More often, the work was all words, strategy, persistence.

Terrible news.

A Sunday morning meditation… “Trees, Slide Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming,” c. 1965. Photograph by Ansel Adams. © The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

“Let us never forget that the National Park Service…is not securely incorporated in the Constitution of the United States. Hence, it is vulnerable to erosion & destruction by legislative action. . . Obviously, eternal vigilance must therefore be the essential attitude of all our people.” - A.A.⁠ ⁠

“The average man is plagued with bewilderment over the productions of contemporary artists. Neither can he understand the artist himself… (1/8)

“We must keep our cool and our dignity and fight like hell!” —A.A. Letter for the ‘Opinion’ Page of the San Jose Mercury News (subsequently reproduced in Knight Ridder Newspapers nationwide). Published April 28, 1981.

“Ansel Adams, Photographer,” circa 1930. Photographed by Dorothea Lange. Film negative Gift of Paul S. Taylor 5 in x 4 in A67.137.898 © The Dorothea Lange Collection, the Oakland Museum of California #anseladams #dorothealange #historyofphotography #1930s @oaklandmuseumca

Godspeed, Sebastião Salgado.

‘Alfred Stieglitz at an American Place, New York, New York,’ c. 1945. Photograph by Ansel Adams As reproduced in “Ansel Adams In Color,” edited by Harry M. Callahan, Little, Brown & Company ©️The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

‘Hands weaving magnetic-core memory, IBM, Poughkeepsie, New York,’ 1956. Photograph by Ansel Adams. This photograph was made on a commercial assignment for IBM.

People are often surprised to learn the extent to which Ansel was involved with color photography—a medium he actively and persistently explored for over 40 years. In 1983, he wrote:

A simple invitation on Arbor Day: Find a moment to touch the bark of a tree, look closely at its details, breathe deeply… 🌲Happy Arbor Day🌲 ‘Yellow Pine Bark and Pine Needles, Yosemite National Park, California,’ 1972. Photograph by Ansel Adams. ©️The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

In Memory of Ansel Adams February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984⁠ 🌎 Every Day is Earth Day 🌍 📷: “Ansel Adams in action teaching at Tenaya Lake, Yosemite National Park, June, 1979. A wonderful day for everyone in the workshop.” Photograph and caption copyright ©️ C Bill Youngblood, 1979.

Wishing a joyful spring season to all who celebrate Easter today, and a peaceful weekend to everyone. May this time of renewal bring brightness to all! ‘Begonia, Santa Cruz, California,’ 1950. Photograph by Ansel Adams for LIFE Magazine.

Happy “Birthday” to one of Ansel’s most storied images and creative breakthroughs—‘Monolith, The Face of Half Dome’—photographed on April 10, 1927. Ansel was just 25 years old. (Courtesy of The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. All rights reserved.)

‘Fern Leaves, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington,’ 1942. Photograph by Ansel Adams.

“We must train ourselves to create modes of living which will satisfy the body, the spirit and the ego, and the requirements of the environment as well. . . .

“We need a return to the spirit of the madrigals, of the communal participation and joy of creating beauty in every form.” — A.A. “Morning Glories, Massachusetts,” 1958. Photograph by Ansel Adams. ©️ The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

“I believe that the artist, in all media, now has the greatest theme and challenge of all time: the survival of the environment and of man himself. The glorification of decay, filth, disease, despair and evil cannot accomplish what is required to make this world a rewarding place to exist in. . .

Good morning! We have just been watching the sun come up over Half Dome via live webcam; the Valley floor is a winter wonderland! Take a peek: www.nps.gov/yose/learn/p... #protectourparks

‘Half Dome, Blowing Snow, Yosemite National Park, California,’ c. 1955. Photograph by Ansel Adams ©️The Ansel Adams Publishing Right Trust

It’s a good morning to peep a Yosemite live webcam! www.nps.gov/yose/learn/p... 📷: “Oak Tree, Snowstorm, Yosemite National Park, California,” 1948. Photograph by Ansel Adams. (c) The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

‘Roots, Foster Botanical Garden, Honolulu, Hawaii,’ 1947. Photograph by Ansel Adams.

“[W]hen we observe questionable decisions and procedures, I feel it is our citizen’s duty to protest.” —A.A.

"Here we are in 1944—a year of war, worries, and restrictions. Everything seems different; time is short, nerves are ragged, things we have depended on for happiness and security no longer exist. . .

❤️‍🔥

“We need fire, not glowing embers! We do not need hyperbole or bantering. I am waiting for a bit of wrath and outrage, expressed in the consistent mood of dignity and concern, impact and compassion. Like a full orchestra, not just a string quartet!” —A.A. (in a letter to Senator Alan Cranston, 1983)

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“We must keep our cool and our dignity and fight like hell!” — A.A. Letter for the ‘Opinion’ Page of the San Jose Mercury News (subsequently reproduced in Knight Ridder newspapers nationwide). Published April 28, 1981.

From a Q&A in Knight-Ridder Newspapers, 1983, with the headline: “Ansel Adams: Photography, politics remain passions at 81”

Speechless. www.sfgate.com/california-p...

Heartbreaking news… Tonight, many of our friends were let go, and tomorrow, even more will follow. Word is that all probationary employees at NPS will be let go. 😭

“The experience of being on & in the rocks, the marvelous sense of substance & scale, are more exciting for me than the panorama from the highest peaks. Of course, it is fun to be on top & to identify landmarks, but I have always enjoyed the climb & the descent more than the summit pause.” — A.A.

• Mount Robson, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada, 1928 • Resplendent Mountain, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada, 1928 Photographs by Ansel Adams

Plowing through, pushing forward…resisting… Remember to park and recharge should you need to. Hello, weekend (almost)! ‘Snowplow in Action, Yosemite National Park, California,’ c. 1935. Photograph by Ansel Adams. ©️The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. #tgif #resist #photography #artcanhelp

“Snow Hummocks at Valley View, Yosemite National Park, California,” 1949. Photograph by Ansel Adams.

Today we’re remembering the legacy of Ansel’s dear friend & fellow artist Maynard Dixon on the 150th anniversary of his birth (January 24, 1875). Ansel visited Dixon at home in Tucson a year or so before he passed away, & made this poignant, intimate image during an impromptu portrait session.

“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” - John Lewis

I have a suggestion for you. In times of trouble and strife, there is therapeutic benefit in being among trees and in physical contact with them. So if you can, go hug a tree today, the bigger the better. This huge old chinkapin oak is known as The Great God Tree.

“No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied – it speaks in silence to the very core of your being.”― A.A. ‘Mount Whitney from the West, Sierra Nevada, California,’ c. 1932. Photograph by Ansel Adams. #photography #protectwhatyoulove #anseladams