Photo Critique

Ansel Adams has created a beautiful image with his photograph titled “Bridal Veil Fall, Yosemite National Park, California”. Done in 1927, this stunning black and white photograph captures a roaring waterfall in Yosemite. Framed by a set of pine trees, this image captures the majesty of the crashing water.
The composition is excellent. The focal point of the image is the top of the waterfall because the water is intensely white. Your eye then travels down the cliff, following the water up around to the mist. The fine details in the cliffs and the trees bring your eyes to the edges of the photograph.
Adams is a genius with black and white photography. His images are clear and crisp with lots of fine details. There is a seemingly infinite variety of contrast in tone in his work. The tones range from pure white to the deepest of blacks with a full range of tones in between. The photograph is very fine grained. The depth of field is very deep; almost everything is in focus. He translates the colors in the image to velvety, rich tones.
I would love to be able to make landscape images as powerful and rich as the images done by Ansel Adams.

Definitions

Media – materials used to create a piece of art work (eg. crayons, pencils, markers, etc.)

Composition – the arrangement of visual elements in an image.

Focal Point – the center of activity or attention in a visual image.

Aerial Perspective – the use of color, in varying degrees of intensity, to suggest 3D space on a 2D surface.

Contrast – the juxtaposition of dissimilar elements (such as tone, color, shape) in a visual image.

Rendering – suggesting 3D form on a 2D surface through the use of softly blended tones.

Negative Space – the area behind and around the objects you are drawing.

Still Life – an arrangement of inanimate objects in a group for the purpose of drawing or photographing.

Horizon Line – eye level

Shadow – the darker toned area reflecting the shape of an object.

Use your photo definition sheet also.