LO1 - Understand professional photographers and their work

Ansel Adams

Ansel Easton
Adams was a
photographer
and
environmentalist
who lived in
America.

Canyon de chelly 1941

He made black and white photographs ranging from landscape, still life and portraiture.
In this period when this photograph was taken (1941), Ansel Adams joined photographers
Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans in their dedication to effect social and political change through
art. Protection of wilderness areas was Adams first cause, this is including Yosemite (Yosemite
National Park is in Californias Sierra Nevada mountains). During World War 2, Adams
photographed life in the camps for a photo essay on wartime injustice.

The reason why I selected this photograph by Ansel Adams is that I was attracted to the
atmosphere within the image. As you can use colour to catch people's attention in black and white
you have to use contrast and tonal values carefully, this achieves that. The contrast in the image is
created by the highlights from the sun and the shadows created by the canyon. The focal point in
the photograph is the middle section, where the sunlight first hits the canyon. This is because this
area is the lightest part of the image and this contrasts between the dark shadows surrounding it.
Your eyes then lead to the edge of the canyon where it curves around behind the focal point, this is
because they light is guiding your eyes. You then look at the rock closest to where Adams was
stood, as it is still in focus.

The photograph would have had a long exposure time/shutter speed as it has a large depth of
field, this would have required some sort of a tripod.