Description:

Ansel Adams
(1902-1984)
Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, c. 1941
oversized gelatin silver print, printed c. 1973-77
signed lower right: Ansel Adams
verso: studio stamp, Photograph by Ansel Adams Route I Box 181 Carmel, California 93921, inscribed in pen Moonrise Hernandez, New Mexico c. 1941, inscribed in pencil lower left #00011; labels, Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, Viart Corporation, New York

  • Provenance: Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York
    Acquired at the above November, 1987 by the present owner
    Private Collection, Dallas, Texas
  • Dimensions: 17.875 x 23.125 inches (image); 28.75 x 36.75 inches (frame)
  • Literature: Adams, Ansel. Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. Little Brown, Boston, 1983. pp. 41-43.

    Artist's Statement: The making of this photograph — it is certainly my most popular single image - combined serendipity and immediate technical recall. I felt at the time that it was an exceptional image; there seems to be an almost prophetic sense of satisfaction when the shutter is released for certain exposures.
    I had been photographing in the Chama Valley, north of Santa Fe. I made a few passable negatives that day and had several exasperating trials with subjects that would not bend to visualization. The most discouraging effort was a rather handsome cottonwood stump near the Chama River. I saw my desired image quite clearly, but due to unmanageable intrusions and mergers of forms in the subject my efforts finally foundered, and I decided it was time to return to Santa Fe. It is hard to accept defeat, especially when a possible fine image is concerned. But defeat comes occasionally to all photographers, as to all politicians, and there is no use moaning about it.
    We were sailing southward along the highway not far from Española when I glanced to the left and saw an extraordinary situation — an inevitable photograph! I almost ditched the car and rushed to set up my 8x I0 camera. I was yelling to my companions to bring me things from the car as I struggled to change components on my Cooke Triple-Convertible lens. I had a clear visualization of the image I wanted, but when the Wratten No. I5 (G) filter and the film holder were in place, I could not find my Weston exposure meter! The situation was desperate: the low sun was trailing the edge of clouds in the west, and shadow would soon dim the white crosses.
    I was at a loss with the subject luminance values, and I confess I was thinking of bracketing several exposures, when I suddenly realized I knew the luminance of the moon - 250 c/ft. Using the Exposure Formula, I placed this luminance on Zone VII; 60 c/ft therefore fell on Zone V, and the exposure with the filter factor of 3x was about 1 second at f/32 with ASA 64 film. I had no idea what the value of the foreground was, but I hoped it barely fell within the exposure scale. Not wanting to take chances, I indicated a water-bath development for the negative.
    Realizing as I released the shutter that I had an unusual photograph which deserved a duplicate negative, I swiftly reversed the film holder, but as I pulled the darkslide the sunlight passed from the white crosses; I was a few seconds too late! The lone negative suddenly became precious. When it was safely in my San Francisco darkroom I did a lot of thinking about the water-bath process and the danger of mottling in the sky area as a result of the print's standing in the water without agitation. I decided to use dilute D-233 and ten developer-to-water sequences, 30 seconds in the developer and 2 minutes in the water without agitation for each sequence. By using ten developer-water cycles I minimized the possibility of uneven sky.
    The white crosses were on the edge of sunlight and reasonably "safe"; the shaded foreground was of very low value. Had I known how low it was I would have given at least so percent more exposure (a half zone). I could then have controlled the value of the moon in development, and the foreground would have a slight — but rewarding — increase of density.
    The negative was quite difficult to print; several years later I decided to intensity the foreground to increase contrast. I first re-fixed and washed the negative, then treated the lower section of the image with a dilute solution of Kodak IN-s intensifier. I immersed the area below the horizon with an in-and-out motion for about 1 minute, then rinsed in water, and repeated about twelve times until I achieved what appeared to be optimum density. Printing was a bit easier thereafter, although it remains a challenge.
    There were light clouds in a few areas of the sky, and the clouds under the moon were very bright (two or three times as bright as the moon). I burn-ins the foreground a little toward the bottom of the print. I then burn along the line of the mountains, keeping the card edge in constant motion. In addition, I hold the card far enough from the paper to produce a broad penumbra in its shadow; this prevents a distinct dodging or burning line, which would be very distracting. I also burn upward a bit to the moon to lower the values of the white clouds and the comparatively light horizon sky. I then burn from the top of the moon to the top of the image with several up-and-down passages.
    It is difficult to make prints from this negative that I truly like; papers differ, toning sometimes gives unwanted density changes, etc. It is safe to say that no two prints are precisely the same.
    Because of my unfortunate disregard for the dates of my negatives I have caused considerable dismay among photographic historians, students, and museums — to say nothing of the trouble it has caused me. Moonrise is a prime example of my anti-date complex. It has been listed as 1940, I94I, I942, and even 1944. At the suggestion of Beaumont Newhall, Dr. David Elmore of the High Altitude Observatory at Boulder, Colorado, put a computer to work on the problem. Using data from a visit to the site, analysis of the moon's position in the photograph, and lunar azimuth tables, he determined that the exposure was made at approximately 4:05 P.M. on October 3I, I941. That is now the official date. I will never be so exact with my thousands of moonless pictures!
    This photograph has undoubtedly evoked more comment than any other I have made and represents an unusual situation of content and effect. I am sure that the image would command general interest for the subject alone. It is a romantic/emotional moment in time. I think it would have a certain appreciation even if poorly printed. However, the mood of the scene requires subtle value qualities in the print that I feel are supportive of the original visualization. The printed image has varied over the years; I have sought more intensity of light and richness of values as time goes on.
    -Ansel Adams
  • Medium: oversized gelatin silver print, printed c. 1973-77
  • Condition: Photograph has had minor professional conservation work done. Full treatment and condition report available upon request.

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