September 6-28, 2025

Opening Reception Saturday September 6th. 2-5pm.

It is my pleasure to present photographs by Ed Stone, my friend of more than 50 years. I met Ed in our first photography class together in the fall of 1973. Our mutual interest in photography, similar taste in music and my friendship with his wife Angela Moretti were all things that drew us together. It was Ed I asked to join me on my first meeting with Ansel Adams and my early trips for the National Parks Project.

Ed was beginning to work in pre-press when we met and he continue down that path through valley and coastal printers, eventually becoming a skilled graphic arts stripper and duo-tone creator for the Monterey Bay photo community. This all helped to cement his love of black and white landscape photography. He has shown work previously at the Monterey Museum of Art.

Ed Stone Photographer

I began my photographic journey in 1970 at Merced College in Merced, California, when I enrolled in a black and white photography class. Hoping to master the art of shooting and processing black and white film as well as printing my own images. I developed a deep appreciation for the craft’s timeless qualities. I continued to take classes and workshops for the next several years. During this time I met Stephen Johnson who became a dear friend and mentor. A pivotal moment in my early years was spending a day with legendary photographer Ansel Adams, whose influence further shaped my artistic vision. Today, I continue to celebrate the classic look and feel of black and white photography, blending traditional style with a digital work flow.

My black and white photography serves as a medium through which to investigate the dynamic relationship between nature and human intervention. The monochrome palette allows me to distill the landscape to its essential forms and contrasts, revealing the drama and subtlety inherent in each scene.

My work is inspired by the enduring beauty of the natural world and the complex, often dramatic, effects of human presence upon it. Through my lens, I seek moments where joy and tension coexist: a field reshaped by cultivation, a coastline marked by footprints, a tree standing resilient amid altered terrain. These images capture the interplay of light and shadow, permanence and change, evoking both celebration and contemplation.

I strive to create photographs that invite viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the land. By emphasizing both the resilience of nature and the indelible marks left by humanity, my work aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the environments we inhabit and the impact of our actions upon them. Through the evocative language of black and white imagery, I hope to inspire a renewed sense of wonder and responsibility toward the landscapes that shape our lives.

Ed Stone. 2025.