I spent a year or so trying to use the Zone System in my own photography. Ansel made most of his photographs using large format cameras ( 8 X 10 view cameras with the black hood thing and an upside down image on the large viewing screen). Since the Zone System was developed for the large format cameras, my little 35mm film camera was a difficult fit for the system...but not impossible to use. Ansel also taught a practice of "pre-visualization". He would go out and think about images he wanted to make..sometimes with his camera and no film..sometimes returning to the same place in different lighting circumstances..and make one, stunning photograph that he pre-visualized... instead of burning off dozens of shots from an annoying mortor drive .35mm camera..Landscape photography certainly lent itself to that kind of introspection. I was more drawn to people photography and injecting myself into private situations and making photos that I had sketched in my dream book as a foundation. So pre-visualization was right down my alley. In 1974, I had dozens of photographs that were well exposed, printed, and "pre-visualized". Jane and I drove my VW van to Nova Scotia in 1974 and were married. I finally had the opportunity to photograph beautiful scenics but was still drawn to people. I sold photographs and thought I might be able to make a living as a photographer but decided that I wanted to meet Ansel Adams and get his opinion on my work. Jane and I packed up the van and headed for the address in Carmel, California that I found for Ansel in the library. I had a portfolio of my work and was excited to photograph my way West.
(to be continued)
Wedding Day, Truro, Nova Scotia 1974
circa 1974
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