Here, he looks closely at a small part of nature. Sierra Meadow is quite different from Ansel Adams’ monumental photographs of great land formations. Sierra Meadow, 1930 Sierra Meadow by Ansel Adams, 1930, via MoMA, New York

A taller dune in complete shadow contrasts the lighter Funeral Mountains behind it.Ħ. A striking line down the dune separates light from shadow.

In true Ansel Adams photography style, the use of light sets this image of the sand dunes apart from all others. Sand Dune, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California, 1948 Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California by Ansel Adams, 1948, via Christie’sĪfter spending the night on top of his car and trekking into the sand dunes before the sun rose, Adams found himself in the right place at the right time to capture this stunning image of the sun rising over the sand dunes of Death Valley National Monument. His only injury was a broken nose that he never had properly set.ĥ. The strong contrast between light and dark in this photo creates a chaotic visual drama among the buildings and streets, quite a change from Adams’s usual tranquil photos of nature.įun Fact 1: Adams is from San Francisco and was 4 years old on April 18, 1906, when the city was devastated by an earthquake. Shadows from the clouds darken different areas of the city, making it look small and toy-like. San Francisco From Twin Peaks, 1953 San Francisco from Twin Peaks by Ansel Adams, 1953, via the San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtĪ much different image than typical Ansel Adams photography, here we see San Francisco sprawling out before Twin Peaks, two large hills that sit within the city. The undisturbed snow and still reflection on the water emphasize the calmness of this wilderness scene.Ĥ. The stark whiteness of the snow outlines Half Dome and the darkness of the trees and sky draw the viewer’s attention right to it.

Half Dome sits in the center of this photograph, wrapped in snow and rising above the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. Half Dome, Merced River, Winter, Yosemite National Park, California, 1938 Half Dome, Merced River, Winter, Yosemite National Park, California by Ansel Adams, 1938, via Christie’s Thanks to his technical knowledge and quick thinking, Adams was able to capture this image before the sun disappeared.ģ. The contrast gives the gravestones of the small cemetery an eerie glow under the black sky. 15 G filter helped to darken the sky and emphasize the adobe buildings and fall-colored leaves. With his camera’s back to the sun, Adams captured this twilight scene of Hernandez, a small New Mexico town. This famous photograph was captured a moment before the sunset. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico by Ansel Adams, 1941, via MoMA, New York Initially using a yellow filter, he then swapped it for a red filter to darken the sky, brightened the snow, and brought forth all the monumental detail and enormity of Half Dome, making it glow under the black sky.Ģ. Using his Korona camera, Adams captured his iconic photo of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park after a difficult hike. This was Adams’ first photograph that gathered the attention of the public and the art world. When speaking of Ansel Adams’ photography, the most famous is Monolith, the Face of Half Dome. Monolith, The Face Of Half Dome, Yosemite Valley By Ansel Adams, 1927 Monolith, the Face of Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California by Ansel Adams, 1927, via the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor

Black light poster desert dunes