Photographer Research Project

My Photographer: Ansel Adams

-Ansel Adams' full name is Ansel Easton Adams. He was born on February 20th, 1902, in San Francisco and died April 22nd, 1984, in Monterey.

-Ansel Adams is famous for his black and white photos of the American west, and very well-known for his photos of Yosemite.

-Dodging and Burning are steps Ansel Adams used to “establish tonal relationships”.

-In his early career, Adams worked for Albert M. Bender, a San Francisco insurance magnate.

-Ansel used a Hasselblad, and a 35mm Zeiss Contax. His view cameras included several 4x5s and 8x10s.

-Ansel Adams typically used a depth of field-style lighting technique when it came to shooting photos to get a nice contrast between light subjects and dark backgrounds.

-Some of Adams’ influences included Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'keeffe, and Paul Strand.

-When Ansel was four, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 threw him into a garden wall, leaving him with a crooked nose for the rest of his life.

Some things that I love about the work of Ansel Adams, is how simple, yet beautiful his photos are. I find it incredibly fascinating that he did this all with camera equipment that was not incredibly advanced compared to the level of cameras we have today. He had a wonderful way of capturing the essence of nature in his photos. I chose the artist because my dad has a book in our house filled with all of his most famous work. My dad has also told me stories about meeting Adams and shaking his hand. All of those interactions got me interested in selecting him when this project arose. My personal favorite thing about this photographer is the way he captures light on his subjects. I think this is because of how much time he spent in portable dark rooms on his journeys, constantly editing.

10 photos of Ansel Adams’ Work: