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Ansel Adams Workshop, Tucson, 1975 by Michael Duggan
All photographs courtesy © the artist
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TALES FROM THE LENS
by Michael Duggan
Michael Duggan takes us on a journey back in time to 1975 to a workshop
that included some of the most significant photographic icons of the 20th
century. His story shares insights and historical nuggets and also reminds us
of important truths. We step into the same photographic stream as those who
went before us and yet that very stream is ever-changing.
T
he Center for Creative Photography organised a week-long workshop in
Tucson, Arizona that ran the gamut from inspiration, to anguish, to devilment
and everything in between. The players in this drama included those at
the pinnacle of the profession; Ansel Adams, Minor White and Frederick Sommer.
There were lectures and seminars with Robert Heinecken, Judy Dater, Jack Welpott
and Tom Barrow along with the great author and advocate Peter Bunnell. There
were also those who just gaining traction in the fine-art field; Richard Misrach and
Alan Ross. Attendees were mostly very serious about their calling in the field and
all were looking toward the possibility of a career in fine-art photography – although
most still had their ‘day job’.
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Gardener in TeePee, Tucson, 1975 by Michael Duggan
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TALES FROM THE LENS
T
he students mostly spent the week in private homes around town. Most of
us were pushing the limits every day for what we could learn and the limits
of social stamina every evening – and we immediately found ourselves in a
photographic family. No need to specify that it was film based. And we were young!
The first day started with a lecture by Ansel
Adams and ended with a lecture by Minor
White. Ansel elaborated on his concept
that a negative is like a musical score with
highs and lows, and nuanced moods – and
that one skilled enough in performance
could print a negative in a way that would
do the ‘composer’ justice.
Minor did portfolio critiques by
special arrangement during the
week – if you dared.
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#1. Ansel Adams, Norman Locks (then Director of the Ansel Adams Gallery Workshops) and Minor White
#2 and 3. Minor White and Judy Dater
by Alan Ross
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TALES FROM THE LENS
M
inor’s workshop dealt with the connection of body movements to seeing.
Certainly Minor approached his work from many different spiritual and conceptual directions over the decades. He taught how to take the energy
from the rest of the body and put it into the eyes – to enhance one’s vision beyond
ordinary reality.
Minor did portfolio critiques by special
Dater still remembers “a
arrangement during the week – if you
dared. At the beginning he’d ask if your
in the air...”
desire was to have him point out the qualities in your work that made it strong, or if
you wanted to hear where there was deficiency, weakness or ‘lies’. Minor made this
offer with little concern for your ego getting fat or keeling over dead from starvation.
He spoke to the truth of each image. That was his way.
kind of
electricity
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Bamboo Fence, Nogales, 1975 by Michael Duggan
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TALES FROM THE LENS
A
I still remember Ansel’s hands
waving magically in the
enlarger light.
t the end of the third day Frederick
Sommer gave a stunning lecture.
He talked extemporaneously about his perspectives on photography in relation to the world of art. One of his rather thought-provoking statements was that art
is the difference between the camera-recorded image and reality.
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Mission and Wired Window, Tucson, 1975 by Michael Duggan
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TALES FROM THE LENS
T
he “dream-team” of all panel discussions took place on Thanksgiving day:
Ansel Adams, Minor White, Frederick Sommer, Robert Heinecken, Judy Dater
and Jack Welpott. Sobering that Dater is the only survivor of this panel today!
Dater still remembers “a kind of electricity in the air – with everyone being fully
charged.”
While we had all been able to develop negatives from our photo shoots, it was not
until Friday that we got to see them printed. Ansel did darkroom demonstrations
where he selected a negative from the
I was lucky enough to have
The artistic greats at our work- attendees.
him print mine – ‘Mission and Wired
shop represented everything it Window’. He dodged and burned and
of worked with the contrast for this chaltook to contribute to the
lenging negative for hours. I still rememthe 20th century up to that point. ber Ansel’s hands waving magically in
the enlarger light. Two of his trial prints
are still in my possession, and it is clear that the performance of this score required
more practice. The digital control I have over that image now was never possible
before and I can finally show it.
art
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Minor White and Dog by Michael Duggan
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TALES FROM THE LENS
D
ater filmed various scenes from the workshop, including Minor boarding his
plane for home – recalling a rather foreboding feeling at the time. It was a
short time later that Minor died. This film is still in the Archives at the Center
for Creative Photography but has not been transferred to DVD yet.
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Richard Misrach, 1975 by Judy_Dater
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TALES FROM THE LENS
I
n 1975 there weren’t that many serious photographers and it took a really serious
photographer for anyone to see their work. Dare I ask the question as to whether
Minor White’s work would be diluted beyond discovery today? It seemed then
that if we took the time to explore the creative process, enjoyed the source of what
was created from within and dedicated ourselves to that creative thing necessary to
our being, our work would be seen. The artistic greats at our workshop represented
everything it took to contribute to the art of the 20th century up to that point.
The true meaning of creativity was discovered, more or less, by all – and the challenge of constantly renewing the creative process in new directions was realized.
There is always the need to go where
others have not gone and do things that Maybe the impact of our
have not been done before.
vision
will make a difference when a
difference is needed.
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Bob Heineken, Tucson, Nov., 1975 by Alan Ross
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TALES FROM THE LENS
I
t seems that the changing landscape over the last forty years might cast an informative light on earlier times. What is everyone doing today? What about an
experience 40 years ago still stays with us and still influences us on a daily basis?
Could such an experience ever be reproduced today?
Our job as artists is to speculate on what is needed in this world and provide it.
Maybe the impact of our vision will make a difference when a difference is needed.
Maybe we will always be the needle, co-mingling with hay, maybe we will be found
and have our say on the broad stage - the
artists, we need to bring to stage has never been broader.
As
our viewers something that will
find resonance deep within their
souls...
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Ansel Adams and Alan Ross, San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, November 1975
Photograph by Minor White, 1975, courtesy Princeton University Archives
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TALES FROM THE LENS
A
s artists, we need to bring to our viewers something that will find resonance
deep within their souls – to make a statement that they will not forget in
an object with which they will live. These things I have learned to understand better through decades of stewing over what first grabbed my attention at
this workshop. Where does that fresh idea come from and how passionately have
I tried to discover what I really wanted to say with my work? I think the more aware
we all are of this process within ourselves, the more we have a chance to find a
voice that will be heard!
“I explore the unnoticed graphic nature of places and things – taking the mundane and
making it heroic – to elicit curiosity in the world around us by interpreting man’s and nature’s activity on this planet.” - Michael Duggan
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