Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams is considered to be the most famous photographer of all time and is known for his dramatically lit black and white photos. Before attending private school, Ansel was tutored by his father and aunt at home, since he was not successful at any of the schools his family sent him to. He taught himself to play the piano, but later abandoned his musical career for his photography one. However, his musical artistry had a large impact on the pictures he took. Ansel was an environmentalist as well as a photographer. A member of the Sierra Club, Ansel Adams' first fully-visualized photograph, "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome" was taken during his first "High Trip" in 1927. The High Trip was a month-long, up to 200 mile hike through Sierra, Nevada that was conducted by the club. Adams has an eager relentlessness for the pursuit of taking the best photos. Often he worked 18-hours or more for days and weeks on end. He was a consultant for many other great photographers and camera companies, and as an environmentalist he sent thousands of letters to any of his colleagues, newspapers, and government officials he could. His photos appropriately captured the essence of the American wilderness.

I chose the photo above because of it's dramatic lighting and contrast, and the way the eye plays across the waves of sand that snake down the slope of the dune. The subject is so bizarre and unique that it's almost hard to believe it exists on the same continent that we do.