“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

— Ansel Adams

It’s time to get back to blogging! Anthony and I worked on a different blog 9 whole years ago for an international trip we took—and it was so fun to collaborate with each other! Now, as a family of three, we run The Lightbox Photo.com together, I keep up with my freelance editorial work, and we certainly seem busier than ever! But, we wanted to create a place for our clients—or anyone who is so inclined—to see the latest photos from Anthony, with commentary from the both of us. What else will you find here? Generally, you’ll find out what we’ve been up to, whether that’s the work developing new services or even a fun outing with recommendations and tips! Mostly, you’ll learn a bit more about the people behind the scenes of a live, working photography business. Our first post was inspired by our visit to the latest special exhibition at the De Young museum in San Francisco, Ansel Adams In Our Time.

It’s been ages since we’ve visited the De Young. I believe our last visit was for the Vermeer exhibit when we got to see Girl With A Pearl Earring, which I just Googled and found out was in 2013. How is that possible?! Well, we heard Ansel Adams was going to be featured. What a perfect outing—combining our love of art, photography, and the Bay Area. Plus, we still hadn’t taken our 14-month-old to a museum—why not start with this one? So we set the day; I packed snacks, extra outfits, and plenty of entertaining teethers—and we were off!

Something I’ve learned in my short time as a mom, mealtimes and naps are crucial. After a well-timed car nap (parent-win!), we took some time to munch a packed lunch in the concourse between the De Young and the Academy of Sciences. If you haven’t spent much time there, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a great park area with sculptures, trees, fountains, and plenty of benches. Perfect for lunches or just to get some wiggles out—yours or the kids!

After we made it to the exhibit, it became clear that our son wasn’t going to enjoy being in the stroller—which makes sense, how could he see all the cool photos from down there? So I strapped on the carrier and started walking, looking at the images and talking. I started reading the signs next to each image to him, but as I got more comfortable and could see his interest, I started just talking to him about all the things we saw. We looked at shapes, textures, and various details. He pointed and babbled on at length about his favorite pieces. He even picked his favorite photo from a triptych of Old Faithful photos. (The middle one!) He made friends with many of our fellow art appreciators, waving and smiling when the mood struck him. I hogged him for a while, as Anthony lingered over each photo on his own (though still pushing that stroller). I could practically see the wheels in his head turning.

As we were walking and talking, I realized this was the moment I had waited for: taking my son to see a great artist. We had a rough go getting him here earth-side last year, and I was suddenly struck with such gratitude. He probably won’t remember the trip beyond the pictures, but for me, it quickly became a core memory. My recommendation is just to take your little(s) to places you love, even if it scares you at first. Whether it goes as planned or not—the experience is worth it.

Eventually, we traded and Anthony got to wander the gallery with our newly-toddling toddler. I enjoyed a much-needed moment to sit down and got to reflect on my favorite moments of the exhibit. First, getting to see more images from Ansel Adams and other artists than I expected. I’m used to seeing the Yosemite images, but I especially enjoyed the images he took in New Mexico, where my family is from. The exhibit was thoughtfully curated with sensitive commentary on stereotypes and the time frame the artist lived, but there was one image that stood out especially—Old Spanish American Woman, Northern New Mexico, ca. 1937. It’s the piece that touched me the most because it felt so familiar. Like looking at a bygone family member, the lines on her face worn through adversity and strength. A great portrait, whether painted or photographed, should do that. It makes you feel as though you know them a little, and your life is now touched by theirs. That was the moment in the exhibit where my eyes grew misty. And honestly, that wasn’t a reaction I thought I’d have to the work of Ansel Adams.

Lastly, beyond my own excitement at showing my child around the galleries, watching his dad do the same was so very special. And to watch him share the specific medium that he himself makes a living out of—well, it left me speechless, so I’m going to end this “musing” here. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Check out the exhibit for yourself if you can. And please come visit us again.

—Rebekah

Notes from the Photographer

“I knew about Ansel Adams—at least I thought I did. But seeing his images up close and personal was astounding. The depth, detail, and emotional impact of his photographs struck me. I knew he was a master of the dark room but seeing firsthand how he pushed and pulled details and light in and out of an image impressed and inspired me to do more.”

-Anthony

Did you know you can head up the tower of the De Young Museum without a ticket? Just enter and head to the right to the elevators. You’ll be rewarded with beautiful 360 views of San Francisco!

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