Ben Strand/ Winonan
Michael Adams, son of famous photographer Ansel Adams, will be offering a new perspective on his father on Friday, Oct. 24.
Winona State University will host speaker Michael Adams for “Ansel Adams: A Son’s Perspective.”
Michael Adams is the oldest son of Ansel Adams and is a retired major general from the United States Air Force, said Heather Casper, curator at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM).
Casper said,“Michael is going to be speaking on behalf of his father on his life, passion as a photographer and his career. The purpose is to tell people what it was like growing up as Ansel’s son.”
Michael Adams will share stories of his father’s childhood, other hobbies he enjoyed, the story behind his most famous photo “Moonrise Hernandez” and numerous other stories from his father’s career.
Casper said Ansel Adams’ most iconic work is recognized in his landscape photography for his use of elements such as scale and space. She said many of his photographs were known for depicting the natural beauty of nature.
Casper said Ansel Adams’ work continues to influence photographers of all kinds and said he was a guru of dark room photography, as well as black and white photography.
MMAM opened their Ansel Adams exhibition on Oct. 17, with enough of his photos to present a two-gallery show. The display will be open until Jan. 11, Casper said.
This is the first time the MMAM has had an exhibition of Ansel Adams’ photographs, and Casper said they want to make the most of this opportunity by bringing Michael in to speak.
“We decided to partner with Winona State and contact Michael,” Casper said. “We thought it would be cool to have a firsthand account on Ansel’s life from his son’s perspective.”
Casper said Michael Adams looks to keep his father’s passion of wildlife preservation alive by speaking about it to other people and raising awareness about the conservation of nature.
The event, which is sponsored by MMAM and the liberal arts department of Winona State, starts at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Casper said the MMAM will also provide a chartered bus to the exhibition for those who would like to see the Ansel Adams exhibition before the event.
The MMAM is open Tuesday through Sunday, and Casper said students can get in free on Tuesdays with student IDs.
