Surf Sequence 4, San Mateo County Coast, California Possibly 1940 - 1982

Ansel Adams made this photograph on the coast of San Mateo County, California. It’s one of a sequence, and I like the way it captures a fleeting moment with so much tonal depth. Look at the way the water pulls back from the shore, that frothy edge between the dark, wet sand and the churning surf. The granularity of the rocks contrasts with the smooth, almost liquid quality of the receding wave. And how the light catches the foam, creating these ephemeral, lace-like patterns. I wonder what kind of paper he used – it has such a rich, tactile quality. It reminds me that photography, like painting, is so much about surfaces and textures. Adams had this incredible ability to find drama in the everyday. Like a painter, he’s composing with light and shadow, turning a simple coastal scene into something epic. Think of Gerhard Richter’s seascapes, or Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photographs of the sea. There’s a similar interest in the play of light and the passage of time. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation, echoing and transforming across different mediums and moments.