 | By: Ansel Adams David Brower Vittorio Sella Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Aperture ISBN: 0893818089 ISBN-13: 9780893818081 Released: 01 Sep 1999 RRP: Average Rating:  |
Sella was the son of the first Italian to write about photography & his uncle was a famous leader of Italian mountaineering. Expedition photographs were a new idea in his day, & primarily served the purpose of map-making for subsequent expeditions. Sella's work also served that purpose, but transcended it with stunning minimalist views. As Ansel Adams points out in his preface, Sella also understood the technique of mountain photography in ways that are missed by many current photographers.
His work was of such stature that he was invited along on important expeditions by the Duke of Abruzzi, which alllowed him to be the first to create images of many important scenes. These expeditions included his native Alps, Alaska, Uganda, the Caucasus range, & the Himalayas. His photograph of K2 in the Himalayas is considered the finest one ever.
As dazzling as these images are, the essays in the book greatly add to them by explaining the context of their creation, the photographic problems involved, & the artistic aspects of the work. I enjoyed reading each of them, because each shed a different light on the work.
Although the book is about summit photographs, the book includes many photographs during the ascents, of the people met during the expeditions, & of local scenery.
The summit photos are remarkable to me in many ways. First, he made great efforts to get the right perspective -- often climbing another mountain to get a view the the one alongside. Second, he created stunning panoramas of the major chains which exceed what the eye can see, even if you were there. Third, the pictures have a sense of motion in the glaciers that is quite remarkable. These rivers of ice look like they are moving in videos when you look at them. Fourth, the mountain views have a spiritual quality that is uplifting. Your view of mountains will be forever changed by these photographs.
Also, I feel grateful for the photographs because, although I love mountains, I am not a mountain climber & would never have a chance to see these beautiful, inspiring scenes otherwise.
I encourage you to read & enjoy this book as example of what goals can provide. In the days when Sella was climbing there was no chance of reaching the top of many of these peaks, such as K2 (thought by many to be the toughest mountain in the world to climb). Yet the climbers & Sella achieved lasting meaning for themselves & for us in their partiallly successful endeavors. Goals take us to the top of our skills by extending our ambition & focus. Be sure you are always looking for the next mountain to climb (and photograph). Let these wonderful images inspire you on to your personal greatness! Also, think about choosing goals that will aid & inspire others for many years in the future as Sella did.
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