Ansel Adams trust condemns unauthorised AI colorised work
The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust has raised concerns over what it describes as the unauthorised use of Ansel Adams’s name and work in an “AI-generated colour version” of his iconic photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, which was recently exhibited and offered for sale at a major international photography fair.
The work appeared at The Photography Show, presented by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), via Danziger Gallery.
The artwork, didn't have a title but was headlined A.I. GENERATED, From the prompt: Make a realistic color version of Ansel Adams' iconic "Moonrise Over Hernandez".
In a statement, the Trust said the work “exploited Ansel’s name, reputation, and his most iconic image, while failing to identify any human artist responsible for its creation.”
It added: “The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust was established by Ansel Adams to steward his artistic and environmental legacies, consistent with his own ethos and intentions. The Trust did not authorize, endorse, consent to, or acquiesce in the ‘AI-generated color version’ of ‘Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico’ exhibited and offered for sale by Danziger Gallery at The Photography Show presented by AIPAD in April.”
The Trust also said it was not contacted prior to the work being shown. “The Trust was not consulted or notified before the work appeared,” it said. “Once alerted, we reached out to James Danziger in real time, notifying him of the Trust’s rights, and asking for the work to be removed.”
It further alleges that, after formal objections were raised, references to Adams’ work continued in related commercial discussions. “Correspondence shared with the Trust shows that, despite our formal notice, Mr. Danziger subsequently leveraged Ansel’s name, ‘Moonrise,’ and the AIPAD presentation while pursuing a proposed commercial AI colorization venture involving other artists’ estates.”
While strongly objecting to the commercial use of the image, the Trust made clear its issue is not with artificial intelligence itself. “Ansel was an innovator who expanded the expressive and technical possibilities of his medium. He was remarkably prescient about—and excited by—the potential of computers to transform photography. The Trust’s concerns are not about AI or creative experimentation in the abstract.”
Instead, it framed the dispute as one of consent and rights. “This is fundamentally about artists’ rights and moral rights—and respect for human dignity. No one should trade on another person’s name, reputation, and labor for private commercial ends without consent and candor.”
The Trust said it will continue to pursue the matter through appropriate channels and defend Adams’ legacy, while thanking supporters who have spoken out.
Photographer Pete Souza said he had “collaborated on this statement as a friend of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust,” describing the situation as “morally wrong” and warning it “endangers the rights of all photographers.”