"I am getting very tired of . . . being called 'dead' because I do not include 'social' material and subjects of 'class-significance' [in my work] . . . It is childish to continue to dwell on the negative aspects of society, at least to concentrate on them . . . I am not afraid of beauty, of poetry, of sentiment. I think it is just as important to bring to people evidence of the beauty of the world of nature and of man as it is to give them a 'document' of ugliness, squalor, and despair . . . For every grim image of Harlem, there should be some buoyant truthful image of a hopeful society and some image of the natural scene . . . Is there no way photography can be used to suggest a better life - not just to stress the unfortunate aspects of existence? . . . There must be . . . America is a land of joy - more than any other land. With all the misery, all the economic troubles, and the crack-pot politicians, we are still . . . the most beautiful country in the world . . . I am a congenital optimist; I feel we are coming out of this mess earlier than most people think; and that the world will be a better place for it."
Ansel Adams
Photo: Pasqueflowers with Long's Peak and Mt. Meeker in the background, Lory State Park, CO, April 10, 2012
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