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Ansel Adams

•  Born Feb. 20 1902 in San Francisco, California

•  Passed in Apr. 22, 1984 in Monterey, California

•  Home-schooled until the age of nine •  Refused formal education •  Did not attend college

Photography

•  “Straight photography”: attempted to make photo as realisitic as possible

•  Small amount of work with color; though color would distract from photo

•  Known best for black and white landscape photos

Inspiration

•  Cedric Wright; best friend and philosophical/cultural mentor

•  Paul Strand; American photographer/filmmaker

•  Edward Weston; American photographer

Publication

Adams’ work can be found at the… •  Center for Creative Photography at the

University of Arizona, Tucson. •  Bancroft Library at the University of

California, Berkeley.

Accomplishments

•  Doctor of Arts from Harvard University •  Doctor of Arts from Yale University •  Conservation Service Award in 1968 •  Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980 •  Admitted into California Hall of Fame in

2007 •  Hasselblad Award in 1981

Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake – Alaska (1947)

•  The lighting in this photo is natural. The sun is coming across the photo from the upper left corner. The way the lighting hits the side of the mountain and the water gives this photo character.

•  The main subject of this photo is the mountain. It is what the eye is drawn to. It also takes up the majority of the top of the photo.

•  This photo is in black and white. It has a common theme of diagonal lines. This can be noticed on the mountain and the outline of the lake. When looked at carefully, this photo also has two different textures. The smoothness of the lake is contrasted with the rough characteristics of the mountain.

•  The intent Adams might have been portraying could be related to the differences in the world; yet, somehow, they work together in harmony.

•  This photo stood out to me because I love photography that involves water.

Church – Taos Pueblo (1942) •  Natural lighting is used in this photo. The

lighting seems to be coming from behind Adams; the light is hitting the object from the front, not from the side or background. The way the lighting is set, the emphasis is on the first entrance, not so much the second.

•  The main subject is this archway. It is the first thing the eye notices, followed by the entrance into the church behind it.

•  This image is black and white. There seems to be two types of patterns occurring in the composition. The pattern of doorways is obvious. The other pattern that might not be so obvious is the pattern of stairs. On the top of both the archway and the church itself, there is a characteristic that looks like descending stairs.

•  Adams might have been trying to connect the opportunity of entering a new place and lifestyle for each and every person. A church is a place that some people go to in order to find themselves or become a new person.

•  This photo stood out to me because of the simplicity and potential story it contains.

Freeway Interchange – ���Los Angeles (1967)

•  The lighting in this photo is natural. The sun seems to be beaming in from the top left. The way the lighting casts across the freeway enhances the different directions cars are traveling.

•  The main subject in this image is the freeway. Although there are different ramps, directions, and cars that distract, the main concept is the LA Freeway.

•  Depending on how it’s viewed, the lines in this photo tend to run either up or down. Cars are going both towards the top of the image and down towards the bottom.

•  This photo could easily be an example of how busy Americans are and all the different directions there are to go in life.

•  This image stood out to me because of the concept it is attempting to influence.

Leaves In Glacier National ���Park – Montana (1942) ���

•  This photo has natural lighting, considering it was taken outside. There is no distinct direction in which the lighting comes from; therefore, the lighting is most likely coming from behind the camera. The lighting highlights the light leaves towards the middle and contrasts with the darker leaves around the edges of the photo.

•  The main subject in this photo are the leaves. This can be determined because there is no other element that is distracting the eye.

•  This photo varies in textures. There are three different types of leaves that are noticeable. The variation in leaves makes for a more interesting photo. Each leaf has it’s own line direction. Oftentimes, the leaves in this image have lines going up or down.

•  Adams may have had a hidden story with this image. However, it’s quite likely that he was interested in capturing the essence of nature.

•  I selected this photo because I have seen it before and enjoy the different types of leaves being portrayed.

Sand Dunes in White ���Sands National Monument – New Mexico (1942)

•  This photo has natural lighting. The sun is beaming across the sand from the upper right-hand corner. It highlights the indentations on the sand.

•  The main subject is the sand dune. This is obvious to the eye.

•  Strong, bold lines doing downwards is a key composition factor in this image. The darkness to the left highlights the sand to the right.

•  Sand is related to deserts. Deserts tend to represent loneliness or being lost. Adams might have had a different intent when taking this photo.

•  The detail and simplicity in this photo are two main factors that grabbed my attention.

Sources •  http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-

biography/ •  http://www.biography.com/people/ansel-adams-9175697 •  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_photography •  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams#Photography_career •  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_inspired_Ansel_Adams •  http://www.uafsunstar.com/archives/1929 •  http://www.doi.gov/news/photos/Ansel-Adams-Mural-Project-Opens-

at-Interior-Department.cfm •  http://www.dia.org/exhibitions/AnselAdams/preview7.asp •  http://kristen-webster.blogspot.com/2011/08/photographs-of-

southwest-ansel-adams.html