Individual Art of the Day Catherine Sun

Political: Year photo was taken is unknown 15 presidential elections in photographer’s lifetime Great depression from the late 1930s to the middle 1940s Social: Unemployment rose to about 25% in the US during the Great Depression Economical: October 29, 1929, Wall Street crashes leading to many unemployed people

Ansel Adams – “Follow Nature”

About Ansel Adams Personal: Adams is an American Photographer and environmentalist Had an interest in music such as piano Born February 20, 1902 and died April 22, 1984 Had few friends due to frequent sickness and hypochondria Married Virginia Best for one year Academic: Adams had been dismissed from several private schools His father decided to pull him out of school at the age of 12 He completed his formal education by Attending the Mrs. Kate M. Wilkins Private School until he graduated from eighth Grade on June 8, 1917 Professional: In 1921, Adams introduced his first photograph Adams produced his first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras, in 1927 From 1929 to 1942, his works became more matured and established

Central Claim The central claim is that even though life can be harsh at some points, if you keep moving forward, you will always get through it in the end.

Author’s Purpose Ansel Adams’s purpose for this photograph is to provide a sense of hope for people who are going though hard times. It is also to let them know that even though their path may seem full of misery sometimes, there is always a better future ahead of them.

Intended Audience The audience is intended for people who have gone through rough times and need support in moving forward to continue their story.

Appeal The appeal for this photograph is pathos because it makes you feel a sense of emotion when you see the black color on the border, which dampens the feeling, and the bright center, which gives you a thought of hope.

Tone/mood The tone and mood of this photo is dark on the side of the path, but calm and hopeful near the end of the path. It makes you have a feeling of support as you see the bright light at the end of the line of looming trees.

Color The color of the photo is black and white with big contrast. The black is like a symbol for depressing and pressuring times, while the white is a symbol for hope and determination. The trees surrounding the road give a sense of burden. Rays of light streaming in from above cast in guidance to lead you to the eventual exit of the looming trees.

Placement The picture is not centered on the bright, white opening which means that not everyone sees the future that awaits them at first glance. The trees take up the center and act like a barrier to the pathway, as if you couldn’t escape. Near the top of the photo, the leaves and branches attempt to block out some of the rays of light, but some still filter in, symbolizing how there is always hope.

Proportion Comparing the trees to the light, the trees obviously take up the majority of the photo, conveying the message that hope may seem small from a distance but will grow as you approach the end. The path is also very wide, but has a few bumps on it, which stands for the trials and errors we have made along the way.

Setting The setting of this photo seems like a forest type of area, because of the abundance of trees, that many people have gone through. The old fence on the very side points to the fact that people have been here. The smoothness of the road also notions that many people have walked through this road. It all concludes that although the road may seem lonely, a multiple of people have been through the same feeling as you do.

Conclusion In our lifetime, we will trip and stumble, or go through dark periods, but they will not last forever. At the end of each tunnel, there will be a light of hope or a ray of determination. As long as you keep striving to reach for that light, you will get through the rough in the end.

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