Following Ansel Adams’ Footsteps in the Grand Tetons

[By James Richards in Fort Worth, TX.]  The design sketching workshop we led for Washington State University’s School of Design and Construction provided a springboard for Patti and I to tour some of the great landscapes of America’s Mountain West, including the Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.  Jackson Hole and the jagged silhouette of the Grand Tetons has long held a special fascination for me, so we braved the last dregs of winter snow and some closed road conditions to see this incredible landscape.

When we arrived at the Snake River Overlook, we learned from interpretive displays that Ansel Adams had photographed the river and the Tetons in 1942 from the spot we were standing.  This called for pulling out the hat and fingerless gloves to stay warm and capture this particular viewpoint.  The cold kept me focused, and the ink line sketch came together quickly.  Watercolor washes were added later during the trip.  This experience was a high point of our ramble; we plan to return.

In 1941 the National Park Service hired Adams to photograph and capture nature as exemplified by the National Parks.

Adams made this photograph in 1942 from what is now the Snake River Overlook.

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