How To Analyze Ansel Adams's Landscape Photography
684 Words3 Pages
I chose to analyze Ansel Adams, and two of his landscape photographs for this essay. Ansel Easton was born in San Francisco. CA, on February 20, 1902. His family originated from Ireland, and migrated in the early 1700's. Once in America, his family moved from New England to California, because his grandfather founded a blooming lumber business. After a trip to Yosemite National Park in 1916 , He began experimenting with photography. Adams began reading photography magazine, going to photography and art exhibits, as well as attending Camera Club meetings. He developed and sold his early photographs at Best's Studio. In 1928, Adams married Virginia Best, the daughter of Best's Studio owner. In 1935, Virginia inherited the studio, and the Adamses…show more content… It's a documentary image, because "During World War II, Ansel Adams worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Adams took a series of photographs that documented the day-to-day life of Japanese-Americans that were imprisoned at the Manzanar Relocation Center in California."(National Parks, Landscape Art & American Imagination, par.3) Mount Williamson was in view of the prisoners. It is an impressionable piece of history, because the image is communicating the prisoners point of view. Adam also interprets the prisoner's perspective metaphorically. Each rock represents a Japanese- American, who was imprisoned at Manzanar. The high contrast impersonates the emotions of the captives, whereas the clearing storm and light shining through the photo symbolizes the freedom and justice of the Japanese-Americans. Although, this image is a work of art, because of Adam's composition, and the array of tones he captured, giving it great detail, and a dreary atmosphere. The depth of field composition he used for the subject matter ( large rock in the front), is a great example of leading lines, because it takes the viewers to the mountain and the clearing storm. This photo response to me, because the depth of field composition, the beautiful mountains, and the meaning behind