Ansel Adams

Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, famoust for his black and white photographs of the American West. He primarily used large format cameras.

Even though the large format cameras are big and heavy, take a long time to set up and the cost of film is expensive, Adams still preferred them because of their high resolution. This helped in making sure his images were as sharp as they could be.

Ansel Adams

He produced his first portfolio in 1927, which earned him nearly $3,900. A huge amount for that time. It was called Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras and it contained his famous image Monolith, The Face of Half Dome. It was at this stage that Adams felt his photographs were worthy of the world's critical examination.

Monolith, The Face of Half Dome

Adams was especially productive, as well as experimental, between 1929 and 1942. It was in 1931 that he put on his first solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, which featured 60 prints taken in the High Sierra. Over his 60 year career, Adams has put on many exhibitions. He also published in magazines, co-founded a magazine, wrote a childrens book with his wife.

He also founded Group f/64, together with Imogen Cunningham, Willard van Dyke and Edward Weston after doing a group show at the M.H. de Young Museum in 1932.. This organisation was all about 'pure and straight photography', rather than pictorialism. This is quite funny really, because Adams' famous Monolith photograph would have been unacceptable by their standards, because he used a strong red filter to create a black sky.

Moonrise

Adams has always been well known for his photographs of the National Parks in the US, especially Yosemite National Park, documenting what they were like before the influx of tourism. He contracted with the Department of the Interior in 1941, to take photographs of the National Parks, Indian Reserves and other locations. They wanted mural sized photographs for their new building. Part of the deal was that he could also use some photographs for his own use. Unfortunately, Adams forgot to record the date of his famous photograph 'Moonrise', which shows the moon rising above a small Mexican village, with snowy mountains in the background. Because nobody knows the exact date, it is unclear whether this photograph belongs to the U.S. Government or Adams himself.

I really like his work. Having a big passion for landscape photography myself, looking at his images brings a smile to my face. There are many photographers out there with a similar style. Most, if not all, inspired by Adams. I've tried to use certain aspects of his work in my own work, especially of the images taken from a lower angle. This man deserves all the praise people give him, pure genius.

Image Sources:
http://www.temple.edu/photo/photographers/adams/home.htm
http://artroots.com/art/art14_index.html
http://mandatorymovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_01_archive.html
http://www.outoffocusphotography.in/index.php/ansel-adams-photographs/