Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery

Our living room looks out towards Lobos Creek and the houses of the Richmond/Seacliff neighborhoods beyond. Most everyone knows Robin Williams is the most famous of Seacliff residents. Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon organizers even use his house as a reference point to explain the bike route. But there used to be an equally famous resident of the same neighborhood, Ansel Adams. I remember watching a documentary about him once that talked about how he lived out on the edge of town overlooking sand dunes and the ocean. So I decided to figure out exactly where his house was. It took only a quick google search to discover the house and a quick look out the living room window to discover I could see his house from my own! 

OK, so you have to know where to train your eagle eye but there it is.

Closer look

What's more is that young Ansel loved exploring some of the same areas I do. As a boy he spent hours collecting bugs along Lobos Creek and exploring the rocky coastline from Baker Beach to Land’s End. It was here that Adams first developed his love of nature. While he may lament the fact that today people are confined to the boardwalk trail along Lobos Creek (it is our drinking water after all), I’m sure he would be happy to know that his childhood playgrounds are protected as National Park lands included in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. As such I too love exploring these lands with minimal change since Adams’ day. Exploring Land’s End was an almost daily post-work ritual when I first moved here. I even made my family climb along the rocky trail when they first came to visit.

Land's End

I don’t know if Ansel Adams ever made his family do the same but it’s possible since he lived in the house from the time he was an infant in 1903 until he was 60 years old in 1962. My apartment building was built in 1953 so I wonder if those early occupants knew they were looking out at Ansel Adams’ house.

This summer I have also enjoyed exploring and photographing some of the same national parks Adams famously photographed. And so to pay homage to my neighbor I’d like to try and play a little game called Adams or Knackmuhs? All you need to do is look at the photos below and decide which was taken by Ansel Adams and which was taken by Eric Knackmuhs...Keep in mind, I didn't say it'd be difficult.

1. Saguaro National Park

Photo A

Photo B

2. Nevada Highways

Photo A

Photo B

3. Mt. McKinley - Denali National Park

Photo A

Photo B

And of course,
4. Yosemite National Park.

Photo A

Photo B

Photo C

Photo D

Photo E

Photo F

Thanks for playing!