Deep shadows, crisp detail and a sense of scale, inspired by the landscape photography of Ansel Adams.

Ansel Adams was a highly respected photographer, best known for his spectacular images of America’s National Parks. Like many others, I was inspired by those photographs before visiting, and found them a near match for the beauty of the real thing. This recipe is my attempt to capture a little of that essence.

What stands out in his images is their striking clarity and scale, and that is what this recipe tries to mimic. It uses the Acros Yellow Filter simulation — the yellow filter gives skies a little more drama and helps clouds and mountains stand apart. Deeper shadows (+2), gentle sharpening (+1) and positive Clarity (+2) each add some of that depth and crispness, with DR400 giving plenty of tonal range to work with.

I tested it out in the mountains of Austria, and found myself content that the spirit of his style was there. It is definitely one to load up on your next trip into the great outdoors.

The same settings should work well in a wide range of other situations and conditions, and perhaps best of all when the light is stronger — the Bright Light collection has more recipes made for those days, and there are plenty more mono looks in the Acros & Monochrome collection.

Ansel Adams Film Recipe Settings

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Ansel Adams Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Ansel Adams Film Recipe

Each film simulation recipe has its own character and style. These features mean recipes are more suited to certain situations, or when seeking a particular look. Here are the categories that Ansel Adams has been tagged with.