Jack Ahearn Photography

While culling my collection of photo books, I browsed Ansel Adams’ book of the Southwest and was struck by his image of El Capitan Peak in Guadalupe National Park made in 1942. It seemed somehow familiar so I checked photos I made on a trip in 1998 through west Texas going north into NM. I found the two photos included here of the same area but with different viewpoints and lighting. Judging from the raking light in Ansel's image the photo was probably made in late afternoon. My photos were made earlier in the day as we approached from the south traveling north into NM. Mine were made with a Mamiaflex twin lens reflex medium format camera and Kodak color film. Of course Ansel used an 8x10 view camera (I presume) and BW film.

Ansel Adams image of El Capitan Peak in Guadalupe National Park 
from his book of photographs from the Southwest, 
presumably rather late in the afternoon as judged by the raking sunlight. 

El Capitan Peak from the south made in 1998 with a
Mamiaflex twin lens medium format camera.

El Capitan Peak from the south made in 1998 with a Mamiaflex twin lens medium format camera and rendered in greyscale image from a scanned color image.