Photographs of the Southwest: Ansel Adams

1.    The photographer’s name is Ansel Adams. This particular book is called Photographs of the Southwest and was published in 1976.
2.    The first photograph is Sand Dunes. The second photograph is Adobe Ruin.
3.    The first reason why I like Sand Dunes is the simple composition. The second reason is the lighting, which adds high value contrast. One side of the dune is cast in shadow, while the lighting on the other side makes the dune look interesting with the value contrast and lines in the sand. The third reason is the movement created by the lighting and lines in the sand. The contrast draws in the eye and keeps it moving.
4.    The first reason why I like Adobe Ruin is, once again, the lighting. The beams cast a diagonal shadow across the photograph, which adds interesting movement. The second reason is the composition. The diagonals of the shadows draw the eye into the window looking outside. The third reason is the contrast between light and dark, which are from the shadows of the beams.
5.    I had a hard time choosing between three Ansel Adams books; however, once I saw Sand Dunes and Adobe Ruin, I knew I wanted to write about them because they both caught my eye more than other photographs in the other two books.
6.    It is obvious that one of Ansel Adams’ strengths was taking advantage of natural light. He would get up at dawn when the sun would cast long, interesting shadows to take photographs. It appears that Sand Dunes was taken either early morning after the sun had just risen or at dusk when it was beginning to set, since one side of the dune is cast in complete shadow. Since his photographs are in black and white, taking advantage of natural light was one of the most important ways to add interest to his photographs. Another strength of Ansel Adams was his sense of adventure. He traveled across the country to take photographs. I believe a sense of adventure is an important quality in a photographer. Another strength of Ansel Adams was his simple compositions. Because he relied mostly on natural light, a photograph with a complex composition and a lot of subjects would only take away from the photograph.
7.    Lighting is an important aspect. It can add interest to an otherwise uninteresting photograph. Movement from lines makes a good photograph. It adds depth and can keep the eye moving around the photograph. Inspiration is definitely something that can help create a good photograph. Creativity is important. Interesting perspective also creates a good photograph. Instead of photographing a subject straight on, taking the photograph from a different position can make the photograph better. Emotion, especially when photographing people is important. Composition, balancing and organizing the subject matter can also make a better photograph as it will be more pleasing to the eye.