Conveniently, my orthopedist is located very near the beach town of Encinitas. Since we were so close, Steve treated me to lunch out.

Our favorite Italian restaurant, Trattoria i Trulli, did not disappoint.

Again, proximity dictates our fun. We have been very eager to see Cannon Art Gallery's Ansel Adams: Early Works (September 22 – December 1, 2019).

This amazing exhibit consists of intimate master prints from the 1920s through the 1950s which depict Adams’ transition from pictorialism to straight photography, and provide a fresh look at this legendary master of the American landscape. Presenting 42 photographs, several singular examples are included in this exhibition, including some extraordinary rare prints. We were incredibly impressed.
We learned so much about this artist we thought we knew. For instance, up until a critical meeting in 1930 with master photographer Paul Strand, Adams had been dedicated to his career as a classical pianist in San Francisco and enjoyed photography only as a hobby. He was captivated by the tonal quality of Strand’s negatives, which he described as “full, luminous shadows and strong high values, in which subtle passages of tone were preserved.” Strand’s images inspired Adams not only to commit himself full-time to photography, but also to follow in the master photographer’s style of “straight” photography—unmanipulated black-and-white photographs documenting landscapes and scenes of everyday life—a departure from the romantic, hand-painted images of the pictorialist photographers that dominated American photography in the early 20th century. Wild right?
I loved this print of Mt. Robson, with handwritten note to his friend William Edward Dassonville. In the 1920s, Dassonville created a velvety surfaced photographic printing paper that was a favorite among Pictorialist photographers, though the formula is now lost.

The image that called to me was one that surprised me, Coastal Road (c.1953). I know it appeals to me since road trips aren't on our current horizon. This work expresses Jack Kerouac's quote, "...the mad road, lonely, leading around the bend into the openings of space toward the horizon." So very, very incredible. This exhibit demands a more thorough savoring. 
Of all the prints, Steve appreciated this image most. Clearing Winter Storm, taken from Inspiration Point, is Adams' most celebrated Yosemite view. This is the earliest known vintage print of this seminal image (a 1938 date appears on his original typewritten label), which just surfaced in 2005. So spectacular.