1. Unit 57: Photography and
Photographic Practice
Research of other
photographers work
2. Photographer: Ansel
Adams
Ansel Adams took his first photograph in 1916
which made him realized his love for photography.
He is Americas best known landscape
photographer.
He is famous for his technical skill and his love for
unmanipulated photography, soon after this he
cofounded a group that believe in all the same as
him.
In 1932 he exhibited his work to with group.
In 1940 Adam helped found the department of
photography in the Museum Of Modern Art in
New York, he was then later awarded for this and
his other accomplishments.
He started to give other advice and became sort of
a teacher to people always stressing the
importance and art of photography.
Finally in 1980 he was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian
honor.
4. Tetons and the Snake River
White House Ruin 1942
Mountain Pine,
Mono Creek
1930
5. I like this photo of his because its ironic
and have humour in it. The information in
this photograph is that no cars should be
parked here but the cars are anyway. I
think the content is very simple in this
photo you don’t have to think about it,
but its like Ansel just had to take the
picture because of what it shows. The
intent of Ansel Adams taking this was to
show humour and to represent the place
where he was maybe. Showing this
happening somewhere and it normally
wouldn’t. He may have found this strange
and abnormal to himself that people
wouldn’t read signs. It’s a one off picture
he probably wouldn’t get the chance to
take again. Even though its simple its
capturing a moment and sharing his
moment with everyone else. In this image
you don’t have to concentrate or look at
the different aspects or pay attention. This
picture was taken while Ansel Adam
travelled around the world inspiring
himself with everyday art. This picture isn't
one of his many landscape pictures but
because of what it is makes me like it just
as much as the others.
6. Composition In this image Ansel Adams chooses to capture
this tree specifically, the shot is filled with this
one main object. The shot cuts out everything
around the tree even part of the trunk so that
the main focus is on the shape of it. He
includes the rock underneath the tree also
rather than just getting the abstract part of the
tree, he also gets some of the sky on a little bit
of the left and around it. It looks like the
camera has just been positioned close to the
tree rather than zoomed in, I think Ansel has
done this so the image is seen as what it would
be if you was stood that close just looking. In
the shot we can see the shadow cast from the
tree onto the rock which shows the sun is on
the left hand side if the picture without
actually seeing it. If the picture was taken
further back then we would be able to see the
sun that’s casting the shadows. Also we would
be able to see how tall the tree actually was
because of the shadow and how big it was,
but in this image we cant see the end of it.
In the picture if you look in under the lowest
Having shadows cast is used a lot in
branch of the tree in the background there is
photography purposely to give good effect.
a big mountain it looks like he purposely
After taking an image it can be cropped to
angled it so the bottom branch would just
show the main subject but this one was taken
hover over the mountains in the distance. This
with the object in mind and this certain
makes them look tiny but because of the fade
element was picked. It affects the message of
in them you can tell there are just really far
the image because viewers want to think
away. He has angled the camera so that the
about what's missing around the picture so we
branch sort of forms a shape like the
try and look beyond the tree.
7. Techniques used
In this picture Ansel Adams has
captured a picture using the rule of
thirds. There are clear lines to show
this, the sky then the bright lower sky
then the ground with houses and
fields. It’s a strong image even
though it’s a dark one because the
sections are clearly shown and
makes the picture very equal and
interesting at the same time. I think
photographers use this rule so that
they can get a bit of everything so
no one has to pretend what's in the
rest of the picture. The picture is
quite dirk and misty looking. I think
he used a slow shutter speed to
keep the movement in the image,
for example the clouds and the
lowering blackness of the sky to
show how everything was moving
when the image was took. It’s a
good way to take it because in the
picture you can see the atmosphere
in the air because of the slight blur.
8. Strengths & Weaknesses
I love this picture how even
though its in black and white
you can still imagine how white
the snow would be in contrast to
the colour of the mountains,
dark sky and green grass. A
strong point in this image is the
rule of thirds, he has shown us
the sky then the big mountains
in the middle that we are
attracted to then the green
grass at the bottom leading out
towards us. A weakness in this
photo for me is that I would of
liked if Adams took the photo
from a high shot so that the
image made the mountains
look bigger and more towering
over everything else as they are
the main part of the picture.
