Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon 2004

This gelatin silver print, Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon, was made by Robert Adams. The print is mostly a study in light and dark. Adams' eye sees the world through a lens of tonal contrast and sharp focus. The silhouette of the tree branches stand in the foreground, their sharp lines contrasting with the pale sky. I imagine Adams looking up through the canopy, searching for the right alignment of branch and light. He seems to be asking how the mundane can be made transcendent through observation and framing. What I appreciate about Adams' work is his quiet, persistent meditation on place, and how within that place he is always searching for order and beauty, even in the face of environmental change and human impact.