Cypress and Fog, Pebble Beach, California Possibly 1967 - 1979

This black and white photograph captures a scene by Ansel Adams of Cypress and Fog at Pebble Beach. It's undated, but there's something about the way the fog softens the scene that gives it a timeless quality. Look at the texture on the bark of those cypress trees. It’s all gnarly and twisted, like an old painting. Adams has really brought out the physical quality of the tree through his attention to light. That one thick branch in the foreground, almost dead center, forms an arch that draws your eye into the foggy landscape. It's this contrast between the sharp, detailed foreground and the misty, ambiguous background that makes the piece so compelling. It reminds me of those blurred backgrounds you see in Gerhard Richter's paintings, only here, it's done with light and shadow. Adams found his own voice in the conversation of image making.