It would be a crime to embark on an overview of the great masters of photography without including Ansel Adams among the top three. Not only as inspiration for those landscape photography enthusiasts out there, but for anyone with an interest or passion for the art of black and white photography.
His incredible landscape photographs are works of art and for a beginner the are a master class in composition, exposure, and balancing tonal values in a black and white medium.
Adams believed in the importance of visualising the image before capturing it on film, seeing it in your minds eye as a final composition, and this is evident in all his work, in how balanced and harmonious the composition and distribution of tonal values, creating striking contrasts, and fascinating positive and negative shapes out of the natural landscape within his frame.
His work is best described as expressing the sublime. More than just beautiful, his landscapes evoke awe and wonder and have a sense of overwhelming grandeur.
For a detailed biography of Ansel Adams, and a gallery of his work, please visit this brilliant website: http://photography-now.net/listings/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=361&Itemid=334
