Black and White

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                                                                         Landscape

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                                                                       Texture

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Ansel Adams

                                                    Alfred Stieglitz & Painting by O'Keeffe
   
    Ansel Adams was the most famous photographer known for black and white photos. His photography showed a lot of emotion even for the simplest of things. When Ansel was only 4 an aftershock of an earthquake knocked him over, breaking his nose. With his shyness, and genius behaviors it made it hard for him to fit in at school. His father and aunt taught him before he went to private school because he wasn't very successful. His somewhat odd, and different childhood also made him more interested in being outdoors. Something very interesting was that when Ansel was just 12 he taught himself how to play the piano and read music. Soon after he had started lessons it had made something in his mind want to do formal schooling. For the next years the piano was Ansel's primary occupation and in 1920 his intended profession. The piano had brought peace to Ansel's crazy childhood, even though he eventually gave that all up for photography. He published his very first photography in the Sierra Club's 1922 bulletin. In 1927 Ansel made his very first visualized photograph, Monolith, The Face of Half Dome. Ansel came under influence of a man named Albert M. Bender who made his first portfolio. Albert"s encouragement, support, and determination changed Ansel's life drastically. Also in 1927 Ansel met Edward Weston, another photographer who not only became great friends with him but one of his greater colleagues. A lot of people and groups realized the energy and great work these two men did.
    In the 1930's Ansel's stardom rose furiously! He made is first visit to New York in 1933 to meet Alfred Stieglitz. The man whose work inspired Ansel to the greatest of his potential. Ansel spent a lot of his time in New York and Stieglitz's circle played a huge role in his artistic life. All this payed off when in 1933 New York gave Ansel his first show.  Ansel was a great photographer and reading about him inspires me to never give up my dream of being a photographer. The reason I chose this picture above was because it is of Alfred Stieglitz, then man who had inspired him to persevere in everything he did, even when  times got tough. This man played a big role in Ansel's life. Ansel selected this image for his Museum Set, which was 75 of what he considered his best photographs and said it would help define his artistic legacy.