More About the Image:
Ansel Adams made this image looking out over the Pacific in 1946 near the Carmel Highlands. We are presented with an evening scene, a brief break in the distant clouds giving us a sense of distance. Sunlight escaping under the sky cover glints off the undulating wave crests to accent a minimalist texture in an otherwise amorphic sea of middle grays. This spectral column that seems to be unfurled in front of us like a carpet of light, is visually echoed by the sunbeams that give the scene its true focal point. Drawing us into the brilliant distance, the image is contemplative and relaxing complimented by Ansel’s alight position high above the surf at the threshold of the scene.
