Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
A towering column of steam and water erupts from the earth in this striking black-and-white photograph by Ansel Adams, capturing the raw, elemental power of Yellowstone's most iconic geyser. Adams' masterful use of light and shadow renders the billowing plume in rich tonal contrast against a dramatic sky, emphasizing both the geyser's immense scale and the rugged landscape surrounding it. Printed later as a gelatin silver print, the image reflects Adams' meticulous darkroom craft, delivering the luminous clarity and depth that define his celebrated legacy in landscape photography.
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print, printed later.
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Photographs
April 1, 2014
Artists in conversation
Edward Weston
American · b. 1886
Weston was a master of straight photography who used gelatin silver prints and precise darkroom technique to capture natural landscapes and geological formations with the same rich tonal contrast and reverence for elemental power seen in this Adams photograph.
Minor White
American · b. 1908
White created dramatic black and white landscape photographs with meticulous attention to light, shadow, and tonal gradation, producing images of natural phenomena that carry the same majestic and atmospheric mood as Adams' depiction of Old Faithful.
Brett Weston
American · b. 1911
Brett Weston produced highly refined gelatin silver prints of American landscapes and natural subjects, employing bold monochromatic contrasts and a straight photography approach that closely parallels the dramatic tonal rendering and rugged natural grandeur of this Adams work.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion