Trees, Slide Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming c. 1965 - 1981

Ansel Adams made this gelatin silver print of trees in Slide Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Look at the way Adams coaxes so much from this limited palette, it’s not just black and white but a symphony of greys. It’s a reminder that process is about more than just getting to a final image, it’s about the journey. The texture here is all about the stillness of the water. Notice the reflection of the trees creating almost mirror images, it gives the scene a surreal, dreamlike quality. There's a lone tree standing slightly to the right, its bare branches reaching upward like skeletal fingers, while the whole image is soft, and diffused. Adams’s work reminds me a bit of Gerhard Richter’s blurred paintings, where clarity is traded for atmosphere. Both artists show us that art isn't about capturing a perfect image, it's about suggesting a feeling and evoking an emotion.