In my mind's eye, I visualize how a particular ... sight and feeling will appear on a print. If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph. It is an intuitive sense, an ability that comes from a lot of practice.
Ansel Adams
- Life
- 1902-1984
- Occupations
- photographer, pianist, writer
- Notable works
- Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, The Tetons and the Snake River
Facts: Wikidata (CC0), as of 2026-07-09
'You don't take a photograph, you make it' is everywhere, but the formulation Adams actually worked out in print is the musical one: the negative as the composer's score, the print as the performance. It appears across his technical books, and it explains the first quote -- for Adams the exposure was the beginning of the work, not the end.
In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.
Ansel Adams
Millions of men have lived to fight, build palaces and boundaries, shape destinies and societies; but the compelling force of all times has been the force of originality and creation profoundly affecting the roots of human spirit.
Ansel Adams
Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.
Ansel Adams
The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways.
Ansel Adams
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.
Ansel Adams
There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept.
Ansel Adams
You don't take a photograph, you make it.
Ansel Adams