Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico

Ansel Adams

1941 (printed 1961)

Gelatin silver print

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ansel Adams was known for printing numerous unique prints from the same negative. He made at least nine hundred prints of this image, his most familiar, each with dramatically different tonality and contrast, over many decades. A master of the western American landscape, Adams extensively photographed places such as Yosemite Valley, the Sierra Nevada, the Tetons, Yellowstone, and other national parks. A committed outdoorsman and conservationist, he was long associated with the Sierra Club and its efforts to protect the environment. Adams captured this moment while returning to Santa Fe, New Mexico, after an unrewarding day photograp