NEW ANSEL ADAMS DOCUMENTARY FILM TO AIR ON PBS APRIL 21st

On Sunday, April 21 at 9:00 pm (Eastern and Pacific Time), in honor of Earth Day, the popular PBS documentary series, "American Experience," presents "Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film." This new 90-minute film is written and directed by Ric Burns, and co-produced by Sierra Club Productions and Steeplechase Films. The documentary weaves together archival footage, photographic images, dramatic readings of the artist's own writing, and interviews with leading photographers, historians, curators, naturalists, as well as Adams' family, friends and colleagues, to tell the story of a man who was at once a visionary photographer, a pioneer in photographic technique, and an ardent crusader for the cause of environmentalism.

In making the biographical film, Burns blazed trails of his own through the Sierra to capture the essence of Adams' unique relationship with his subject matter. "To get to the heart of what so inspired Ansel Adams, we literally followed in his footsteps," said Burns. "We lugged our cameras up sheer rock faces and hiked the winding trails that led Ansel to his photographic revelations. And they led us to Ansel." Burns' dramatic footage – fluidly juxtaposed with the photographer's extraordinary work – places Adams' photographs in their natural context. More than any other artist of the twentieth century, Adams helped transform the meaning of wilderness in America, and changed what people thought about their own land.

A very informative companion web site for the documentary is available at http://www.PBS.org/amex/ansel. It is worth taking the time to visit this site.

Be sure to check your local listings for exact broadcast time in your area.

JOHN SEXTON LECTURE - ANSEL ADAMS: PHOTOGRAPHER, MENTOR, FRIEND

Nearly everyone that receives this newsletter is by now well aware of the fact that 2002 is the centennial of the birth of noted photographer (and hero to many of us!) Ansel Adams. Well, 1902 seems to have been a great year for great individuals. Not only was Ansel Adams born on February 20, 1902, but April 18, 1902 was the birth date of noted photographer, Wynn Bullock. In addition, on February 4, 1902 photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo was born, and he is still alive in Mexico! Noted author, John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 -- truly a vintage year for creative people!!!

On February 20th, I was conducting a workshop here at my studio and precisely at 5:00 pm (the time Ansel and Virginia enjoyed cocktails on a regular basis) the entire workshop group joined in a toast to his life and his luminous legacy of photography and dedicated passion for environmental conservation.

I am looking forward to lifting a glass on April 18th to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wynn Bullock's birth. I will never forget the time I first saw an original Wynn Bullock print at the Pasadena Museum of Modern Art, where Wynn Bullock's photographs were included in an exhibition with two other great photographers, Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. The mystery and surreal quality of those photographs provided a strong influence on my own work. I was fortunate to attend a workshop with Wynn Bullock in Yosemite the following year, and to visit his home in Monterey three times prior to his death in November of 1975.

Memorable comments by noted photographers, and others:

"Photography is 90% sheer brutal drudgery, and 10% inspiration!"

- Brett Weston

"There is only ONE difference between success and failure. Failure takes a lot fewer tries."
- Anonymous

"Almost all photographers have incurred large expenses in the pursuit of tiny audiences, finding the wonder they'd hoped to share is something few want to receive."
- Robert Adams from "Why People Photograph"

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it."
- Confucius

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