Pine Forest in Snow, Yosemite National Park
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Pine Forest in Snow, Yosemite National Park
Created in 1933, Ansel Adams masterfully seized the magic and splendor of nature when he photographed ‘Pine Forest in Snow, Yosemite National Park’. A dense wall of tall, slender trees, their branches intermingling, renders this wintery forest scene somewhat impenetrable but nevertheless inviting. It also causes the viewer to feel delightfully alone with Mother Nature, bringing about a sense of serenity.
Adams repeatedly displayed his remarkable talent for capturing the nuances of light and shadow within his photographs. The light in ‘Pine Forest in Snow, Yosemite National Park’ dances on the tips of the countless branches, while shadows playfully attempt to thwart the snow’s luminosity. The black and white image radiates the cold crispness of the season, as though in an effort to trigger a body shiver in the viewer. The impressive height of the forest trees makes one feel relatively small and rather insignificant considering nature’s grandiosity.
In April of 2008, Christies sold a gelatin silver print of ‘Pine Forest in Snow, Yosemite National Park’ for a realized price of $25,000.00 USD. The print was produced in 1970-1975 and was signed in pencil on the mount.
About the Artist
Ansel Adams was one of the most admired and renowned nature and landscape photographers of the 20th century. His black and white photography never failed to capture the exquisiteness of the natural world.
When Adams was a teen, he received a Kodak Brownie box camera from his father during a family trip to Yosemite National Park. The gift was a significant moment in the young man’s life as he took his first photographs of natural scenery, beautiful images that inspired him to return many times to Yosemite throughout his life.
During his successful career, Ansel Adams received considerable respect and recognition for his distinguishing photographs, many of which were aimed at imparting a powerful message regarding wildlife, wilderness and its preservation. Alluding to his lifelong crusade to help protect our environment, Adams stated, “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.”
In time, Adams’ career would lead him to co-found the Group f/64; its members were encouraged to practice innovative approaches to photographic technique and style, ultimately motivating Adams to demonstrate his own applied methods of photography.
In 1941, after embarking on many instructional workshops, Adams began teaching at the Art Center School of Los Angeles, currently known as the Art Center College of Design.