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New Art Exhibition In Ventura County Features Original Photos From Famed Photographer Ansel Adams

Photographer, and art collect Larry Janss with one of his enlargers at a Thousand Oaks exhibition featuring the works of Ansel Adams

Some rare original prints from a man who is considered to be one of the world’s most famous photographers as well as a legendary environmentalist are going on public display in Ventura County this week. The California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks is presenting some of the works of Ansel Adams from the collection of a Ventura County photographer, and businessman.

But Larry Janss is much more than a collector.

As a young aspiring photographer, he had the opportunity to meet, and study under Adams. His father knew Adams. As a teen, Janss was doing poorly in all of his high school classes except photography. His dad promised him if he improved his grades, he would get him into one of the famed photographer's summer workshps, an incentive which worked.

Janss attended three of the workshops, but Adams said no to the young man attending a fourth. He instead offered him an internship. Janss would return to Adams studios many more times over the years to help with projects up until the time the photographer died in 1984, at the age of 82.

Janss had the opportunity to collect a number of iconic original prints, like Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks Executive Director Tish Greenwood worked with Janss to pick several for the new exhibition. The exhibition is called “In Focus: Ansel Adams Highlights from Lawrence Janss Collection.”

Janss says he's excited to help the museum give people the opportunity to see some of America’s most famous nature photography via original prints. He became an accomplished nature photographer himself, and some of his works are also on display in the museum’s galleries.

The new exhibition runs through March 24th. The museum, which is open noon through 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays is on the second floor of the Oaks Mall, in Thousand Oaks.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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