Ansel Adams

When Adams was four, the earthquake and fire in San Francisco caused him to break his nose, deforming him for life and making it difficult for him to fit in. He was tutored by his father and aunt before moving on to private school. He loved playing the piano, and for a dozen years it was his primary occupation. He completed his first fully visualized photograph, the Face of Half Dome in 1927. Adams spent most his summers photographing in the Sierra Nevada, and made a number of trips to the Southwest to work with Mary Austin. Because of his financial challenges he was forced to do a lot of commercial work, stifling his creativity.

I love this photo because of the contrast between the white water and the black trees and the dark grey cliffs. I love the rainbow of mist. This photo brings pure joy because I find peace in nature. Even though it is in black and white, when I look at it I see the green of the trees, the colorful rainbow, and the bright, vivid blue sky that all are associated with this type of photo. 

Bechtold Camera Settings

Fast Shutter Speed

Slow Shutter Speed

Low Aperture

Low Aperture

Fast Shutter Speed

Slow Shutter Speed

Panorama

Found Panarama

I like this photo because of the vibrant colors in the mountains and the contrast between the orange and blue. The photographer pieced the photos together very well.

I like this picture because of the serenity of the water. It seems so calm. The colors are more vibrant on the left side, and become more tranquil as you move to the right. 

Rudy

Long ago in an old junkyard three tires rolled together to produce something wonderful. Rudy was an orphan, coming into existence by pure chance. He was a very lonely stack of tires. For years he wandered the earth in search of friends. Anyone would do, he really didn't care who. Rudy was just tired of working at the GAP all alone. It was exhausting work and no one ever said thank you.  Eventually Rudy quit and went to fulfill his dream of being a model. Tyra and Twiggy both rejected him, so he rolled on towards a different dream, contributing to a winning race car. He had a lot of hard work ahead of him, so he started at an old chop shop. Rudy quickly found the perfect car, fixed it up, and started training it. He had a real knack for it, and soon the car was ready. On the day of the race Rudy watched gleefully as the car pulled ahead. It was almost an assured win. Suddenly the back right tire popped. Sparks flew everywhere, and Rudy knew what he had to do. As soon as the car pulled in for a pit stop, Rudy replaced the back tires, and put himself in their place. You've never seen wheels spin so fast! The car rapidly made up lost time, and was soon, once again, in the lead. Rudy shocked the crowd with his speed, and won the race. He was approached by many other tires, all wishing to be his friend. He had never been happier.
The End.

Found Faces

Composition Project

Converging Lines

Diagonal Lines

Different Angle

Filling the Frame

Framing the Photo

Horizontal

Rule of Thirds

Vertical