A Look Inside Ansel Adams’ Darkroom Magic
It’s hard to imagine a world without Photoshop or Lightroom. But there was a time. Instead of a computer mouse, iconic photographer Ansel Adams used a microwave and cardboard cut-outs to create his masterpieces. We kid you not.
In “Advancing Your Photography Show’s” latest video, “An Inside Look into Ansel Adams’ Darkroom Magic,” Ansel’s son Michael, gives us a tour of his father’s darkroom. At times the darkroom looks and feels more like an experimental science lab. Ansel designed and built a railroad track system in his darkroom to move his enlarger to and from his exposure apparatus on the wall. Ansel also engineered cardboard cut outs to bring about different exposures on multiple parts of his photographs. Michael said some times it would take his father half a day just to decide the proper exposure. Ansel also use a homemade “dodging device” which consisted of a piece of cardboard and a stick. He would move it around on the photograph to block light to expose certain spots less. Ansel also had 30 plus light sources in his enlarger so he could choose which bulbs to illuminate in order to control the exposure.
Michael said his dad would even use a microwave to dry the photographs to see the final print so Ansel could tweak the exposure. The entire process could, and often would, take up to 20 hours per photograph.
The video feels intimate, hearing Ansel’s voice as we tour his darkroom it’s almost as if we get a look inside his photographic “universe.” We get a rare glimpse at how he saw the pictures along with the painstaking amount of work it took to bring his photographs to life. Now, go kiss your digital camera and never complain about having to spend time with PhotoShop or Lightroom!
Ansel Adams washing a print inside his darkroom. Photo Credit: Ansel Adams Gallery
These switches controlled the lights in his enlarger Decades before PhotoSHop gave us the ability to mask. Photo Credit: Ansel Adams Gallery
Ansel Adams’ Darkroom Work Flow:
-Place the negative in camera
-Decide on size (often 11×14)
-Focus image
-Move cardboard dodging and burning devices above paper to create different exposures
-Then develop to see which exposure he liked most
-Wash picture, then dry it in the microwave (the best exposure was seen better on a dry print)
-Go back and perfect the desired exposure he wanted
-Took 1/2 day (sometimes up to 20 hours) to set exposure to where he wanted it
-Wash prints, dry for at least 8 hours
Young Ansel Adams and his camera.
Our verdict
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- Posted on July 18, 2016
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I’ve been using cameras most of my life, but when I learned to use a darkroom in the 7th grade I became a photographer!. I love to tell stories with my images and I love to teach which is why I created the show “Advancing Your Photography” in 2009 and then compiled many of these interviews into my best selling book by the same name.
I’ve had the honor of interviewing some of the world’s best photographers. What I really love to hear is how our viewers have been able to advance in their photography skills — as I hope you will too. So tune in with us as we take the continuous journey of advancing our photography.
I’ve also written a new book “The Secrets to Creating Amazing Photos: 83 Composition Tools from the Masters” where I explore the many tools you can use to broaden your vocabulary as an artist.
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This article makes perhaps an important comment on what is needed to become a celebrated photographer. What I find interesting is the contrast it is to yesterday’s Scott Borne article entitled “The Argument for Using Software to Help You Complete Your Images.” I am not certain that focusing on saving time is a key to the creation of memorable images.
Reply to Ed Long
9 years ago
Hey Ed great snark – by the way – memorable is in the eye of the beholder – but if you’re one of those who thinks someone should like your image because you worked hard on it I have news for you – in my experience nobody cares. But good luck with that.
This article makes perhaps an important comment on what is needed to become a celebrated photographer. What I find interesting is the contrast it is to yesterday’s Scott Borne article entitled “The Argument for Using Software to Help You Complete Your Images.” I am not certain that focusing on saving time is a key to the creation of memorable images.
Reply to Ed Long
6 years ago
Hey Ed great snark – by the way – memorable is in the eye of the beholder – but if you’re one of those who thinks someone should like your image because you worked hard on it I have news for you – in my experience nobody cares. But good luck with that.