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Background information
Ansel ADAMS (1902-1984) was already one of the most important American photographers of the 20th century during his lifetime. His name, which is now inextricably linked with the photographic documentation and preservation of national parks and national monuments in the western USA, became both a synonym and a label for technically adept, high-quality nature and landscape photography, which was already extensively commercialized during his lifetime. He visited some places several times in the course of the book/his life: 'Half Dome' (1935, 1938, 1947, 1959, 1961), 'El Capitain' (1940, 1952, 1968, 1972), 'Merced River' (1923, 1940, 1950).
The gradual change in style and interest can be seen here: "Ansel ADAMS is regarded as a representative of 'straight photography', 'pure photography', which, following the tradition of realism in painting, is committed to a strict pictorial aesthetic and, in accordance with the dogmatism postulated by the 'f/64' group, was demonstratively directed against the pictorialism popular at the time. His works from the early 1930s were still very much under the influence of the group and were oriented towards Paul STRAND or Edward WESTON in their depiction of pure forms. It was only in the following period - from the mid-1930s - that he broke away from the restrictive theories of the 'f/64' group and moved from a more two-dimensional design to a more three-dimensional composition." (quoted: Wikipedia, accessed on 13.04.2024)
Content
The photo volume 'Yosemite and the Range of Light' by Ansel ADAMS, which is also out of print in the new editions, contains one hundred and sixteen almost full-page black and white photographs, some of which are now considered classics of landscape photography:
- 'Monolith, The Face of Half Dome' (Yosemite National Park, 1927, fig.54); 'Frozen Lake and Cliffs' (Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, 1932, fig.27); 'Clearing Winter Storm', Yosemite, 1944, fig.1; 'Winter Sunrise' (Sierra Nevada, 1944, fig.99 ); 'Mount Williamson, Sierra Nevada, 1947 (fig.46); 'Early Morning, Merced River, Autumn' (early fall morning, Merced River, Yosemite, 1950, fig.96); 'Base of Upper Yosemite Fall' (Upper Yosemite Waterfall, Yosemite, 1950, fig.28 ); 'Moon and Half Dome' (Moon and Half Dome, 1960, Yosemite, fig.115); 'El Capitan, Winter Sunrise, El Capitan', (Winter Sunrise, Yosemite, 1968, fig.90).