Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was born on February 20, 1902 He was born in the Western Addition of San Francisco, California. Adams only received education to the eighth grade. From then on, his education was in music. Ansel was first inspired by Yosemite national park, and that led to him capturing photos. His work appears internationally, in exhibits, books, magazines, and more. When I was younger, I saw an exhibit of his on the east coast. Adams was a scenic, or landscape photographer. He took lots of shots with a huge Depth of Field. Ansel Adams’ work was in such high demand, that after he stopped taking photos, he still had two years worth of darkroom work. There was a backlog of two years for prints.

Moon and Half Dome This picture is called Moon and Half Dome, taken in Yosemite National Park of December, 1960. Natural lighting coming from the right is used. A shadow is being cast from the right, meaning the light originates from there as well. The main subject of the photograph is the moon and the cliff. There is nothing else of interest in the photograph, and those draw your eye. The cliff is almost pointing to the moon, like a leading shape. Also, the moon is pretty much rule of thirds. The Ansel Adams is just trying to convey the beauty nature and share it with everyone, not telling a story. I selected this photograph due to its natural beauty. The idea that this is a scene in nature is unbelievable, and draws you to it.

Moonrise, Hernandez This photo is called Moonrise, Hernandez, taken in New Mexico, on November 1, 1941. The lighting in this photograph is natural. It is dark, however, so there is no way to really determine where it is coming from. The main subject of the photograph is the town Hernandez, and the moon hovering over it. Dead center in the photograph is the moon, and again, there is nothing else interesting, except for the town. The in this photo, the clouds on the horizon and the moon are both contrasting against the dark sky. Ansel Adams is reminding us about perspective. To us, the town in huge and dominant, while the moon is really larger and more powerful. There is no story with this photo. I liked that this photo shows the bright town with the huge sky looming over it, as if the town is fighting back.

Clearing Winter Storm This photograph is called Clearing Winter Storm, taken in Yosemite National Park, 1944. This photograph uses natural lighting. However, it is overcast, so there is very little lighting. The main subject of this photograph is the storm sweeping through the cliffs. You can tell because if you look at rule of thirds, there are clouds. The composition is striking because the rule of thirds is applicable in most parts of the image, making the amount of composition overwhelming. Ansel Adams is trying to communicate the power of nature. He also may be tell a story of a strong storm. I like the way the clouds are coming through. One does not get to see clouds running through rock faces often.

Winter Sunrise This photograph is Winter Sunrise, taken in Sierra Nevada, 1944. This photograph uses natural lighting, hence the title. The light is coming from behind the photographer, because it is casting a shadow forward onto the mountains. The main subject of this photo is the lighted mountains. They draw your eyes because one peak is in rule of thirds, and the bright slope contrasts with the darkness, making for a good composition. Ansel Adams is communicating the start of a new day. I liked the composition of the photograph with the bright slopes and peaks.

Canyon de Chelly This photograph was taken in Yosemite National Park, in 1941. This photograph uses natural lighting. The lighting is coming from the right of the photo, and it is very bright. The main subject of this photograph is the extruding rock. This rock uses rule of thirds, but it is also centered. The lighting of the photo illuminates half of the rock face, and it uses rule of thirds. The Ansel is trying to communicate the beauty of nature and his love for it. There is no story to this photo. I selected this photograph because the large depth of field was extremely attractive.

Sources http://ars-photographica.blogspot.com/2011/05/ansel-adams-canyon-de-chelly.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2489948459/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=33729 http://www.hcc.commnet.edu/artmuseum/anseladams/details/moonrise.html http://www.silberstudios.tv/videos/photography-lesson-moon-and-half-dome-by-ansel-adams-video-sponsored-by-sandisk/