People can resonate with photographs in a way that isn’t common with many other types of works of art. A picture is able to show the viewer what was present at the time it was taken in no uncertain terms. When a landscape is portrayed as something powerful and moving and beautiful it can connect with the viewer in ways an abstract description never can. Ansel Adams was a wilderness photographer during the early to mid-twentieth century, who was able to capture the essence of a place. His ability to capture the sublime essence of the wilderness, the wilderness that is both beautiful and awesome, can bring about a desire to preserve these qualities, to preserve the sublime, before they are lost to us.
The technique and subject matter portrayed in his work provide an ability to connect to the environment in a way that can bring about an emotional response, thus, making the need to preserve these spaces feel paramount. He does this in a myriad of ways, including his use of black and white film. The stark juxtaposition of darkness and light brings to the forefront an ongoing motif found in many forms of human art, the play of good against evil. The spectrum of grey that occupies the place between these extremes pulls to mind the state in which most people find themselves –a state of in between. While Adams’s use of black and white serves both to strike an emotional chord with the viewer, it is also used to highlight the contrast of power, beauty, and insignificance found inherent in sublime works of art. Emotional connection and appreciation facilitate change, especially change on a large scale. Adams is able to capture both the stark nature and the raw beauty of the wilderness successfully, which eventually helps him to aid the Sierra Club in,” the creation of a national park in the Kings River region of the Sierra Nevada” (History) during the 1930’s. In doing so, he was able to protect the land he found to be beautiful, as well as enable posterity to experience the sublime in his wilderness.
Adams was able, through his photographic text, to connect people with the sublime. Through this portrayal of the environment he was able to use his work as a catalyst for change and in this respect his work was able to aid in an act of ecological preservation. This was accomplished through a play on emotion that, perhaps, caused the viewer to realize that these landscapes couldn’t continue to exist if humans were to continue to encroach on the wild spaces left to us.
. “History: Ansel Adams.” Sierra Club. Sierra Club, n.d. Web. 3 Oct 2012.
The power of photography is quite amazing. I agree that a photo has the ability to strike a cord in each of us, to which mere words fail to do so. I like how you dissect the symbolism in Ansel’s photo by way of shades and color. When I first looked at this photo I thought about man’s ability to conquer any and all obstacles. It’s interesting that the conclusion I draw from Ansel’s photo, of mankind’s ability to conquer, is precisely what you claim to be the purpose of his work, to preserve the land and stop man’s conquest. Nice job!
The power of this photograph reminds the human race just how powerful the natural world is to us. No matter how many times man has tried to conquer it, it just isn’t possible. I think that we as people tend to forget that the topography of the land, and all the other various aspects of the environment have withstood more than us. In terms of the history of mankind, humans have occupied the land for a very small amount of time.
I agree with your post in thinking that the human population needs to stop figuring out ways to conquer the sublime, and just take it the beauty it presents. Great ideas!
It is interesting that Adams managed to create so much change with black and white photography. Personally I think color could make these images even more powerful. In my experiences in the wilderness, I think the colors prevalent in the photos I took adds beauty which couldn’t be replaced otherwise. Especially when used to create these feelings of unfamiliar, shocking beauty.
I have always loved Ansel Adams’ photography and enjoyed reading your post about him. What I found most interesting was how you connect the aesthetics of his work (and specifically how he captures the sublime through photographic techniques like framing, contrast, scale, etc.) and the ethical orientation implicit to that work (and specifically the preservationist strain of the environmental movement). Thus, his work provides a good example of how aesthetic features can be mobilized for political/ethical purposes. Do you think there might be a literary equivalent to Ansel Adams’ photographs? It’s a question to keep thinking about as we read further in the environmental literature canon this term.
Also, as for Ansel Adams working in color. Early in his career the technology wasn’t available to work in color photography, but he did experiment a bit more with color prints later in his career (just google Ansel Adams color photographs and you should be able to find some). Additionally, one of the reasons Adams preferred black and white to color was because color film doesn’t capture as much contrast as black and white (and thus not as dramatic) and he wanted his prints of the landscape to be very dramatic (perhaps to capitalize on the sublime scenes).