Robert Adams was best know for his photographs both natural and commercialized landscapes of the American West. Adams grew up in Colorado, earning a PhD in English at the University of California. He then began to start teaching at a college where he started photographing various landscapes of nature and architecture, using a 35mm reflex camera.

Adams criticises the degradation of natural landscapes, making clear that his work is primarily focused on light. He communicated this through his series of nocturnal landscapes called, Summer Nights Walking. During this series, between 1976-1982, he capturing photos during summer evenings where he could achieve a nocturnal effect. In this project he photographed sidewalks, trees, and fields that were lit up by the moonlight or streetlamps. This created a ‘new vision of landscapes.’

“I think if you placed me almost anywhere and gave me a camera you could return the next day to find me photographing. It helps me, more than anything I know, to find home.”

ROBERT ADAMS

I captured various landscapes across St Ounes Coast. One of the places was the sand dunes I thought this was an interesting landscape to capture because of the uneven formations and textures.

Ansel Adams uses a large format view camera, where he used the lowest aperture, f/64 which allowed him to capture the fine detail and sharpness across the whole photo, allowing him to print larger images. The smaller the aperture, means a greater depth of field is created. Ansel Adams captures his photos mainly on black and white film still, which helps focus the viewers attention, whilst emphasising shapes rather than colours. This creates an interesting effect because we can also see the contrast in colour, which creates a unique gradients of darker and lighter grey tones.

The depth created in the photo is elevated by the snake river that runs up the middle of the photo, creating a unique depth of field leading us up to the mountains. This creates an important focus point in the landscape as the darker tones creates contrast, giving a dramatic effect as they are softly elevated by the speckled lighter tones that outline areas, creating a more warmer tone and feel. As we can see from areas of the sky and the river, the light that shines and outlines areas creates a smooth but rough texture in places. As the viewer we pay more attention to the lighter areas as we would typically notice this straight away, as they are exaggerated and highlighted more by the darker tones that surround these areas.

The Tetons and Snake River is one of the most famous pieces of photography in the world, inspiring many photographers. Some described the photo as ‘iconic’ because of the unique setting and compositions. The particular way you get lost looking up the river, gives an elevated and sinuous sense of reading, making you look and move in an indirect and curving way. Making you feel calm because it softly changes direction whilst flowing off into the distance. This effect is also created by the subtle contrast in light, as it changes from the very illuminated areas to darker areas.

Ansel Adams communicates to the viewer the ‘greatness of nature.’ He used the river because he wanted our eyes to circulate in the river, which would lead our eyes up into the mountains. Adams used the late afternoon light which creates reflection and balances the exposure, elevating the texture and compositions in the landscape. It dramatises the landscape, because of the shadows created whilst it also exaggerates the textures throughout.

One of Americas most famous photographers, Ansel Adams spent most of his time developing and perfecting photos, that he captured in the American Wilderness and in many national parks. Exploring places such as the High Sierra in California, while also developing wilderness and survival skills which allowed him to access some of the most spectacular scenery, in which he showcases in his photography.

In 1932 at the M.H San Francisco Museum, eleven photographers, who included Edward Weston and Brett Weston announced themselves as Group f/64. It was called this as it referred to the smallest aperture available in large- format view cameras. The large- format view cameras captured the world as it was, as Edward Weston said that the cameras captured the live world, recording life. The camera was used as it showed clearly the detail, that the Human eye wouldn’t be able to see. They specifically used aperture f/64 which provided the greatest depth of field, and created sharp focus. This meant that the print could be printed across larger areas, and still be as sharp and focused.

Ansel Adams was best know for his realist style, which was shown through his sharp contrast, which dramtised the photo, closely linking to romanticism.

A movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasising inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. It began and started to spread quickly throughout Europe and America.

Romanticism came about in the late 18th century. During this time political and economic atmosphere was influenced as many found inspiration from the French revolution. At this period in time there was a lot of social change in society, as it was also the beginning of the industrial revolution. The French revolution also had an impact on romanticism creating new ideas such as freedom and social change as it inspired themes of liberty, equality and individuality.

Many found that romanticism was a form of escapism, as people would use this to escape from their modern realities, into nature, where they could express there emotions and feelings through there expressive mark making and dramatic movements. Movements that came out of the French revolution was romanticism and enlightenment (age of reason).

Romantic landscapes featured dramatic lighting

Characteristics:

• Freedom of form
• Individualism
• Deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature
• Identity
• Celebration of individualism

The sublime describes; of very great excellence or beauty. For example looking out into a stormy sea, with the dark heavy clouds above making you feel a sense of awe, creating this dramatic but inspiring scene, but also creating a unique relationship between human and nature. A good example of the sublime is storms, and seeing all the destruction and damage caused as this creates quite a statement, and dramatic scene. The aftermath of the storm is an interesting concept, as there is quite dramatic scenes created

What did Edmund Burk think was the ruling principal of the sublime?

Edmund Burk best describes the sublime as being the cause of the strongest emotions which the individual is capable of feeling. It is this dramatic illusion, creating different emotions that you feel.

Edmund found that the terror was the overall ruling principal as he found ideas of pain much more satisfied and interesting, than the ideas of pleasure. For example this idea of you standing, with clouds, mountains, or the sea overlooking you creates much more of an intimidating and emotional piece as it creates a very dramatic and daring look.

Landscape photography or art is the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees or forests. This can either mean it’s been man made or naturally made. The word Landscape appeared in the late 16th century where it was first introduced by Dutch painters who used it to refer to paintings of inland natural or rural scenery.

16th century

European art of the 16th century was marked by the spread of renaissance. Renaissance is a period in history and cultural movement marking the transitions from the middle ages to modernity. This took place between the 14th and 17th century, promoting the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art.

17th century

During the 17th century the birth of classical landscapes was born, these scenes were set in the mythic and idyllic Arcadia of Ancient Greece.

Baroque style was was very popular art in Europe during the 17th century. It first originated in Italy then spread throughout Europe adapting and changing in style as it spread through different countries and regions. Many would say the baroque style is dramatic, has energetic movement and has an expressive use of light and shadow.

18th century

Landscape painting eventually became more famous during the late 18th century along with the rise of romanticism. This quickly became a very expressive style of painting, as painters would communicate their feelings and thoughts through their brush strokes and in there style of painting. We can also see this through their emotions and how they connected to nature. they often had a religious significance.

Photoshoot 1

For this photoshoot I explored the theme of femininity, experimenting with different feminine poses and expressions. I took pictures of my sister while she was getting ready to go out, as this overall created some really interesting and unique sets of images. I wanted to get images of the subject looking into the mirror as I thought this was a really interesting concept to experiment with as I could capture from different angles, as she was applying her lipstick or styling her hair. It creates this unique feminine look which is what I wanted to achieve. I didn’t use a main source of lighting, as I preferred the room to be slightly lit up, which overall helped to achieve the dark effect with the subject lit up.

I wanted to make the portraits engaging and interesting, so posing in particular feminine ways and holding lipstick or perfume, makes the portrait a lot more interesting.

Contact Sheet:

Final Images:

These photos are my final outcomes as they