Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico
Photographer: Ansel Adams
Date: November 1, 1941
Location: Hernandez, New Mexico, USA
Ansel Adams photographed the moon rising over the small Hispanic village of Hernandez, New Mexico, with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background and white crosses of a cemetery in the foreground, on November 1, 1941 — likely around 4:05 PM, a time Adams later calculated based on the moon's position. He had only seconds to set up his 8x10 view camera before the light changed. Unable to find his exposure meter, he recalled the luminance of the moon from memory. The image became one of his most famous and commercially successful works. Prints of 'Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico' were among the most in demand of any of his photographs. At auction, an original print sold for $609,600 in 2006 — the highest price for an Adams photograph at the time.
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