Monterey Pines in Fog, Monterey, California

In 1979 I moved from Southern California to go to work for Ansel Adams as his Photographic and Technical Assistant. My normal starting time at work each day was 9 am. I had rented a house high on a hill above Monterey and just across the canyon from the back of the house is Veteran’s Memorial Park, filled with beautiful Monterey Pine trees. One morning, not too long after I had begun working for Ansel, it was extremely foggy as I left my house. I decided to take an alternate route to Ansel’s going through the park to see what the Monterey Pines looked like in the ethereal fog. As I drove through the park I saw a group of pines that looked interesting. I pulled my van over, grabbed my camera gear and began to explore with my viewing frame. I quickly found an arrangement of trees that interested me, and set up my 4x5 Super Cambo monorail view camera with my 210mm lens (it’s easy for me to remember precisely that this was the lens I used, as it was the ONLY view camera lens I owned at the time!).

The exposure was 30 seconds at f/45 with Kodak Tri-X Professional film. Because of the fog I had to wipe the condensation from the front element of the lens between each exposure even though I was using a lens-shade. I worked quickly and carefully, making two identical exposures of the scene, packed up my gear, stowed it in the van, and headed off to Ansel’s house.

I arrived twenty minutes late for work. I must say that this was the only job I have ever had where arriving late to work with an excuse of “I stopped to make a photograph” was acceptable. Rather than being scolded for my tardiness, Ansel’s reply was “do you think you got a good one?” He could tell I was pleased with the photographs, and kindly gave me a hearty encouraging response.

Once I complete the prints I need to make at this time, the negative will be retired for traditional silver printing, and will never again be printed in any size as a silver gelatin print.

This silver gelatin, selenium toned, print is approximately 10-3/16 x 13", personally printed by me (as are all my prints), processed to current archival standards, signed, mounted, and matted to 16x20" on 100 percent rag museum board.

All prints are carefully prepared and packaged in specially designed protective shipping boxes, and shipped fully insured via UPS ground.

Normally there is a long waiting period for John's original prints. This is a rare opportunity to obtain a print with a short waiting period.