North Palisade from Windy Point 1936

Ansel Adams made this photograph, North Palisade from Windy Point, with his camera. It’s incredible, isn’t it? The way Adams uses light and shadow is almost like he's sculpting the mountains, coaxing out every little detail. Look at the textures, the rocky surfaces, and the way the light catches the snow. It's as if he's using light to paint a landscape, revealing the depth and physicality of the mountains, making you feel like you could reach out and touch them. There’s something deeply moving in the contrast of tones, the almost abstract shapes, the dynamic sense of light and atmosphere. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter's landscapes; that same interest in the process of seeing and feeling the world around us. Adams invites us to engage in the simple act of looking, to appreciate the inherent beauty of nature, to see how nature composes itself. It’s a conversation across time, each artist finding their way to see and show the world in their own unique way.