Making of ‘Moon and Half Dome’ (by Ansel Adams, 1960), 2016

The story behind the photograph…

Ansel Adams (1902–1984), a native of California, first visited Yosemite in 1916 on a family expedition. He returned every year thereafter until his death. While earlier photographers – notably Carleton Watkins in the late nineteenth century – had captured the grandeur of the Yosemite landscape, Adams is most indelibly associated with it. ‘Moon and Half Dome’, taken in 1960, is one of his greatest works, representing a technical tour de force. Photographing the moon in the sky without it becoming a flat white disc is challenging. Balancing that exposure against a surrounding landscape is even more difficult. But while the image may appear to have been carefully planned, it was in fact the result of the photographer spotting an opportunity and making the most of it. Driving through the national park on a winter evening, Adams saw the gibbous moon rising at the same time as the setting sun was casting long shadows onto the rockface of the Half Dome formation. Working with a simple light meter and careful filtering, he was so familiar with his renowned ‘Zone’ system that he was able to anticipate the correct exposure. He shot three frames, took notes, packed his Hasselblad and tripod back into his car, and drove on.