The Portrait of Yosemite
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” – Ibn Battuta
As a professional photographer, I have travelled to, and captured some of the most beautiful places in the world. Yet, every time I visit a new location, the art of nature leaves me speechless.
I felt this same sense of mute in Yosemite.
In my silence, I could observe…
I observed the strokes of wind that painted mountains over the millennia…
I observed the silhouettes of the groves against the dusk.
In this hush of Yosemite, I tried to learn about what photographer Ansel Adams experienced here… and I certainly found a story worth telling :-)
Let this be an inspiration story for all photographers and artists.
Ansel Adams - an Activist with the soul of an Artist
Ansel Adams first visited Yosemite in 1916, as a child of age 14, and it seems like his soul never left the place. He too travelled to Yosemite and became the storyteller.
He experienced healing in Yosemite, and then made it his mission preserving the art of nature while conserving the environment and this National Park.
Ansel Adams was one of the pioneers of the idea of creating 'art as activism'. Through his art, writings and conservationist work, Adams led the movement for Environmental Conservation in America. He spoke at the highest of political arenas and made sure leave an impact on lawmakers with his splendid captures.
American President Jimmy Carter’s words for Ansel Adams perfectly showcase his essence: "Drawn to the beauty of nature's monuments, he is regarded by environmentalists as a monument himself, and by photographers as a national institution. It is through his foresight and fortitude that so much of America has been saved for future Americans."[1]
The reason I am sharing this story of Ansel Adams is to give my community of photographers and artists a message.
We can learn about the power of an artist…
It is the power of storytelling… a story the world needs to know.