Ansel Adams

& Landscape	
  Photography	
  
Brought to you by:
The	
  “Godfather”	
  of	
  Landscape	
  Photography	
  
•  Born	
  Feb	
  1902	
  
•  American	
  photographer	
  and	
  
environmentalist	
  
•  Originally	
  studied	
  music	
  
•  First	
  first	
  visited	
  Yosemite	
  NaGonal	
  Park	
  
in	
  1916	
  with	
  his	
  family,	
  father	
  gave	
  him	
  
his	
  first	
  camera	
  at	
  the	
  Gme	
  
•  Following	
  year,	
  returned	
  to	
  Yosemite	
  
with	
  a	
  beLer	
  camera	
  and	
  tripod	
  
•  Age	
  17	
  joined	
  Sierra	
  Club	
  {group	
  
dedicated	
  to	
  protecGng	
  wild	
  placed	
  on	
  
earth}	
  eventually	
  served	
  as	
  a	
  director.	
  
•  Opened	
  his	
  own	
  art	
  and	
  photo	
  gallery	
  in	
  
San.	
  Fran	
  1933	
  
•  One	
  of	
  the	
  founders	
  of	
  the	
  magazine	
  
Aperture	
  
•  Ansel	
  Adams	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  most	
  
respected	
  names	
  in	
  
photography.	
  	
  
•  Produced	
  hundreds	
  of	
  images	
  
that	
  became	
  familiar	
  across	
  the	
  
world,	
  as	
  tributes	
  to	
  the	
  epic	
  
landscapes	
  of	
  North	
  America.	
  	
  
•  Most	
  well	
  known	
  for	
  his	
  
innovaGve	
  and	
  brilliant	
  black-­‐
and-­‐white	
  photos	
  in	
  landscape	
  
photography.	
  
•  Adams	
  Style:	
  sharp,	
  clear	
  
depicGons,	
  not	
  blurry	
  
abstracGons	
  in	
  imitaGon	
  of	
  
painGngs.	
  	
  
•  The	
  contribuGons	
  of	
  Ansel	
  
Adams	
  to	
  the	
  world	
  of	
  
photography	
  go	
  beyond	
  
preLy	
  pictures	
  of	
  
landscapes	
  and	
  natural	
  
forms.	
  	
  
•  Developed	
  “Zone	
  System”.	
  
•  The	
  Zone	
  System	
  is	
  a	
  way	
  
to	
  manipulate	
  the	
  tonality	
  
of	
  the	
  images	
  and	
  capture	
  
the	
  stark	
  and	
  vivid	
  
contrasts	
  in	
  nature	
  that	
  
could	
  never	
  by	
  recorded	
  
by	
  the	
  camera’s	
  limited	
  
capabiliGes	
  

•  Ansel’s	
  technique,	
  bought	
  out	
  detail.	
  
•  His	
  wriLen	
  technical	
  photography	
  manuals	
  
are	
  sGll	
  regarded	
  as	
  influenGal	
  and	
  relevant	
  
in	
  the	
  modern	
  era.	
  
The	
  Tetons	
  and	
  snake	
  river	
  1942,	
  Ansel	
  Adams	
  
Evening,	
  McDonald	
  Lake,	
  Glacier	
  Na>onal	
  Park	
  -­‐	
  	
  
Ansel	
  Adams	
  
The	
  Tetons	
  and	
  the	
  Snake	
  River	
  (1942)	
  –	
  	
  
	
  Ansel	
  Adams	
  
Winter	
  Sunrise,	
  from	
  Lone	
  Pine	
  –	
  	
  
Ansel	
  Adams	
  
Many	
  present	
  day	
  PHOTOGRAPHERS	
  are	
  inspired	
  	
  
by	
  the	
  work	
  of	
  ANSEL	
  ADAMS	
  
Photograph	
  by	
  Peter	
  Essick	
  
Photograph	
  by	
  Peter	
  Essick	
  
Photograph	
  by	
  Peter	
  Essick	
  
Photograph	
  by	
  Peter	
  Essick	
  
Photograph	
  by	
  Peter	
  Essick	
  
Photographs	
  by	
  Peter	
  Essick	
  
You	
  don’t	
  take	
  a	
  Photograph,	
  you	
  make	
  it.	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  -Ansel Adams	


[Discuss]	
  
Part 1:	


If	
  you	
  could	
  make	
  a	
  Photograph	
  of	
  your	
  
surrounding	
  environment	
  in	
  a	
  posiGve	
  light	
  what	
  
would	
  your	
  landscape	
  look	
  like?	


[Discuss]	
  
It	
  is	
  horrifying	
  that	
  we	
  have	
  to	
  fight	
  our	
  own	
  
government	
  to	
  save,	
  the	
  environment.	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  -Ansel Adams	


[Discuss]	
  
Part 2:	


If	
  you	
  could	
  make	
  a	
  Photograph	
  of	
  your	
  
surrounding	
  environment	
  in	
  a	
  negaGve	
  light	
  
what	
  would	
  your	
  landscape	
  look	
  like?	


[Discuss]	
  
•  “Make”	
  14	
  landscape	
  exposures.	
  
•  7	
  of	
  the	
  well	
  composed	
  images	
  should	
  aim	
  to	
  
capturing	
  the	
  BeauGful	
  landscape	
  of	
  our	
  town	
  
or	
  the	
  surrounding	
  area.	
  
•  7	
  of	
  the	
  well	
  composed	
  images	
  should	
  make	
  a	
  
statement	
  about	
  the	
  transformaGon	
  of	
  the	
  
landscape.	
  	
  
Shooting assignment:	


Photograph	
  a	
  Photograph	
  of	
  your	
  surrounding	
  
environment	
  in	
  a	
  negaGve	
  light	
  what	
  would	
  your	
  
landscape	
  look	
  like?	


[Discuss]	
  

Ansel Adams

  • 1.
    Ansel Adams & Landscape  Photography  
  • 2.
  • 3.
    The  “Godfather”  of  Landscape  Photography  
  • 4.
    •  Born  Feb  1902   •  American  photographer  and   environmentalist   •  Originally  studied  music   •  First  first  visited  Yosemite  NaGonal  Park   in  1916  with  his  family,  father  gave  him   his  first  camera  at  the  Gme   •  Following  year,  returned  to  Yosemite   with  a  beLer  camera  and  tripod   •  Age  17  joined  Sierra  Club  {group   dedicated  to  protecGng  wild  placed  on   earth}  eventually  served  as  a  director.   •  Opened  his  own  art  and  photo  gallery  in   San.  Fran  1933   •  One  of  the  founders  of  the  magazine   Aperture  
  • 5.
    •  Ansel  Adams  is  one  of  the  most   respected  names  in   photography.     •  Produced  hundreds  of  images   that  became  familiar  across  the   world,  as  tributes  to  the  epic   landscapes  of  North  America.     •  Most  well  known  for  his   innovaGve  and  brilliant  black-­‐ and-­‐white  photos  in  landscape   photography.   •  Adams  Style:  sharp,  clear   depicGons,  not  blurry   abstracGons  in  imitaGon  of   painGngs.    
  • 6.
    •  The  contribuGons  of  Ansel   Adams  to  the  world  of   photography  go  beyond   preLy  pictures  of   landscapes  and  natural   forms.     •  Developed  “Zone  System”.   •  The  Zone  System  is  a  way   to  manipulate  the  tonality   of  the  images  and  capture   the  stark  and  vivid   contrasts  in  nature  that   could  never  by  recorded   by  the  camera’s  limited   capabiliGes   •  Ansel’s  technique,  bought  out  detail.   •  His  wriLen  technical  photography  manuals   are  sGll  regarded  as  influenGal  and  relevant   in  the  modern  era.  
  • 7.
    The  Tetons  and  snake  river  1942,  Ansel  Adams  
  • 8.
    Evening,  McDonald  Lake,  Glacier  Na>onal  Park  -­‐     Ansel  Adams  
  • 9.
    The  Tetons  and  the  Snake  River  (1942)  –      Ansel  Adams  
  • 10.
    Winter  Sunrise,  from  Lone  Pine  –     Ansel  Adams  
  • 11.
    Many  present  day  PHOTOGRAPHERS  are  inspired     by  the  work  of  ANSEL  ADAMS  
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
    You  don’t  take  a  Photograph,  you  make  it.                                                                                                                      -Ansel Adams [Discuss]  
  • 19.
    Part 1: If  you  could  make  a  Photograph  of  your   surrounding  environment  in  a  posiGve  light  what   would  your  landscape  look  like? [Discuss]  
  • 20.
    It  is  horrifying  that  we  have  to  fight  our  own   government  to  save,  the  environment.                                                                                                                -Ansel Adams [Discuss]  
  • 21.
    Part 2: If  you  could  make  a  Photograph  of  your   surrounding  environment  in  a  negaGve  light   what  would  your  landscape  look  like? [Discuss]  
  • 22.
    •  “Make”  14  landscape  exposures.   •  7  of  the  well  composed  images  should  aim  to   capturing  the  BeauGful  landscape  of  our  town   or  the  surrounding  area.   •  7  of  the  well  composed  images  should  make  a   statement  about  the  transformaGon  of  the   landscape.    
  • 23.
    Shooting assignment: Photograph  a  Photograph  of  your  surrounding   environment  in  a  negaGve  light  what  would  your   landscape  look  like? [Discuss]