Lens-Based Image Making: Photographer- Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American photographer. He is best known for his black and white landscape pictures of the Western United States. He began taking pictures at the age of 14, establishing his lifelong interest in the recording of nature. One of his favourite locations to photograph was the Sierra Nevada, which also happens to be where his most successful and renowned photographs were taken. This is partly due to his establishment of the Sierra Club- which helped to conserve national parks such as the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is thought Adams’ main influence was Paul Strand, who was one of the first “straight photographers”, which means that he developed his photographs in a particular way to ensure they look as realistic and clear as possible- creating the impact of a piece of art.

(1) “Everything I have done or felt has been in some way influenced by the impact of the natural scene”

Road To Nevada

The darkness of this photograph makes a strong impact, and giving a sense of depth and perspective. The brighter colour of the road helps it to stand out, making it the focal point of the composition. I also like the detail and textures of the road surface. The bright white of the road markings divides the image through the centre, and helps you to distinguish the image is of a roadway. Also, the way the road travels up the mountains in the distance gives the impression that Adams was on an adventure, and took a photograph of the location he wanted to get to. The overall darkness of this piece adds mystery as it is unclear what is situated either side of the roadway.

Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada from Lone Pine

I think the composition of this image is very effective. I like the way the image has horizontal layers of light and dark grey- with the bright mountain peaks being the principal area of the composition. Also, the dark hill towards the foreground adds a sense of secrecy, as it is unclear what could be lurking on it- giving a feeling of depth and meaning to the photograph. The low clouds add height to the mountain range, making them appear more intimidating. Also, the ridges and caves shadowed on the mountain range could be perceived as being scars- showing how this landmark has weathered many of the earth’s changes, displaying how ancient it is. I think the story behind this image is related to conservation. The lack of human presence in the image shows how beautifully natural this mountain range is- potentially encouraging people to help with the conservation of the site. Also, Adams’ love of nature was the main source of the photograph- helping him to capture an un-spoilt and striking photo of the mountain range.

Farm workers and Mt. Williamson

This photograph seems to show the contrast of human-managed land (the field), and earth-managed land (the mountain range). The field appears very neat and controlled, with straight parallel lines running towards the mountains. In contrast, the mountains seem to be more erratic, with deep crevasses and scars covering the whole of the landform. I think this image shows how much of an influence we have over the earth, as our influence can be seen almost anywhere. However, I am unsure whether Adams saw this as a positive thing- he was an avid naturalist, and believed in protecting the earth’s natural beauty- something which farming does not. Although, in my opinion, this image appears to show progress in a positive way- both in the short term (the transformation of the land as the yield is harvested) and long term (the transformation of the land to benefit people)- as it shows people working together to achieve something beneficial to others, and what can be achieved in a relatively short amount of time (in comparison with the mountain range, which may have taken millions of years to appear as it does in this photo).

Richard Kobayashi, Farmer with Cabbages

I think this photo shows happiness and satisfaction. I believe this because this farm worker is holding two large, healthy-looking cabbages- hinting at a successful and high yielding harvest. The clarity and simplicity of the composition helps the observer to see every detail, improving the understanding of what the photograph is of. I think the lack of colour photography during Adams’ period must have made it difficult to produce images which were clearly recognisable in black and white. However, it is clear he has used other techniques to compromise- by using natural light to illuminate the whole subject, every shape is visible, helping the observer to understand what the photo is depicting. Also, the limited amount of shadowing further boosts its clearness.

Although Adams was a hugely successful and popular photographer, he struggled to attain approval from critics. Brian Sewell of the London Evening Standard wrote: