Digital Photography Essay on Ansel Adams PDF

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Summary

An essay inquiring the photographical elements that go into Ansel Adams mesmerizing works. The essay dives into what makes Ansel Adams standout from other photographers....

Description

Digital Photography Essay A photograph has many elements that make it memorable. The photographers who learn to use these elements know what they have to focus on in order to make an impactful photo. Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell were nature photographers who had great success during their respective time period. In many of their photos they were able to focus on what they wanted the audience to see. Both Adams and Rowell used different elements in their photos to accomplish the same goal of sharing the beauty of nature with others. In Ansel Adams’ photo of “Snake River”, some very important details that he uses are leading lines, depth, and tone. He uses leading lines by using the river (which he calls a “Snake”) to make your eyes follow the river and lead you from the ground to the tall mountains and then up to the clouds. Leading lines also helps him subtly introduce the other two elements into his photo. While you are following the river, you notice that there is depth in the photo which is revealed by the mountains which look big and tall but far away. Tone is introduced into the picture by the clouds. Because of the black and white style of the photo, the clouds have many degrees of light and dark, which makes the clouds look alive. With all of these elements put together, Adams photo becomes very memorable and impactful. In Galen Rowell’s photo of the mountains, he uses elements and principles such as color, balance, and depth. By taking the photo as the sun was setting, he was able to get a lot of color in his photo. Because there is a lake at the bottom of the mountain, the mountain and the sunset are reflected on it.This helps him get even more color by using balance. The lake adds balance and reflects the mountain which adds depth to the photo. Since Rowell took the photo at the same level as the lake, he makes your eyes

go from the lake level, up to the mountain level, and then up to the sky. By using the lake to reflect the main points of the photo, Rowell is able to produce a memorable photo. Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell are both very accomplished photographers and share the same goal in their photographs. Both of them want to share the beauty of nature with others but use different elements to accomplish the same goal. Ansel Adams does not use color, because the color would not be a focal point of the photo, making it unnecessary. Galen Rowell uses color to bring out the other elements that he uses in his photo. Because both photographers take photos of nature, some elements such as depth, are common in these types of photos. While some elements that Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell use are similar, both photographers share and accomplish the same goal; sharing the beauty of nature. Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell are nature photographers that have the same goal of sharing the beauty of nature with others. Ansel and Rowell use photographic elements to make their photos memorable. Even though they use different elements in their photos, they both try to bring focus to the most important part of the photo which is what makes them such successful photographers....