In Their Own Words - Ansel Adams

"It's a strange thing that as techniques develop

[and] the materials, the lenses, the cameras

get more accurate and perfect, the quality of

perception and execution goes down because

they count on the machine to do it."

-Ansel Adams

The Twelve Bens - Connemara, Ireland 2009

   Cameras do not "see"; cameras merely record and they can only record what they are pointed at.  No camera, no matter how expensive or sophisticated, can replace the thoughtful and reflective mind of the photographer.  The contemplative photographer places the heart-felt experience of the landscape over the mere recording of the scene.  I have often gone to a place, like the Connemara region of Ireland, and been so caught up with the experience, so humbled by the sheer beauty of it, that I forgot to make any photographs of it at all!  I never regret the lack of a physical proof of my experience when it happens.  I am just extremely grateful for the experience.  I think if I were ever to get to the place where making photographs becomes more important than living and embracing the experience then it will be time for me to put the camera away for good.

   Here is a link to a short video on Ansel Adams, a true master in any definition of the term, which describes his unique and contemplative regard for the landscape.

Ansel Adam's Style, Technique and Philosophy