Today I will be reviewing the work of the great Ansel Adams. Adams is a landscape photographer who took photographs of the frontier in the western United States. Unlike most other artists at the time Adams focused not on the people around him, but rather the beauty of the landscape that surrounded manifest destiny.
This first image I will be reviewing comes from 1927. The side of half dome dominates the right hand side of the image and allows the snow covered peaks around it shine through to the viewer. Having access to only. black and white cameras makes the importance of contrast essential to provide depth and warmth in the character of the image.
The photo to the right was taken years later at the same location. This photograph from 1941 tells us that Adams was constantly changing his perspectives as he aged. The shot of the valley of yosemittee chapters the entire park as it was in 1941. Adams makes sure that he has captured a moment in time with his landscapes. Adams knew that industrialization and the push westward would tarnish the beautiful nature landscapes of the wester United States and wanted to preserve the untouched beauty. This photograph uses the trees in the foreground to bring depth to the mountain ranges behind them. The mountains on the left and right hand sides of the image allow the valley in the center to be clearly defined and resonate throughout the image.