Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs

This is a nice way to look into Ansel's work as a photographer. 400 of his best works. Man where do we even start.

Ansel Adams might be the most famous art/nature photographer of all time. He inspired many with his images. In 400 photographs you get far more than a small sampling of a few famous images. This book shows Adams' chronologic development as a photographer. With this format we can not only see his growth but also his depth something that is rare in book under $100. This volume is both something inexpensive and something anyone can be proud to display on ones coffee table.

It's no secret that Ansel Adams is an inspiration to any landscape photographer who loves to be outside, and this book is an excellent addition to my collection of photo/art related books. Ansel Adams - 400 Photographs is the latest book related to Ansel Adams and this collection was compiled by Andrea Stillman, who worked for Adams in the 70s as his personal assistant. She is intimately familiar with his work, and according to the book, have spent much time contemplating what should be included . Her goal was to present a selection of the best images made by Adams during different periods of time (and images are presented chronologically to help us see the development in Ansel's vision), and after finishing reading and looking through the book, I must say that she succeeded. In this book you will find many of Ansel's famous images, but what I liked particularly that you will also find many images that you have not seen before, especially from his early days and those that were made with his first cameras. For someone like myself who's still a beginning photographer, I was inspired to see how it all started for this legendary photographer. You also will not see these kinds of rare images at usual Ansel's exhibits. The presentation of those images in terms of their sizes and how they are placed against the white background is eye pleasing. There is not much writing in the book, and Ansel's work speaks for itself, which I found appropriate for a book with such title. In addition, the quality of paper and printing is excellent, which is always important when it comes to photography books. Due to the amount of images presented in the book I know I'll be looking through it again and again for inspiration, so the book is well worth it. It'll also be a great book to put on a coffee table, when we finally get one for our living room.

Ansel Adams is a legend. You may adore his style or you may regard it as overly technical with little aesthetic appeal. In any case, if you want to "see" what he has done, this is the book, period. There is also some well written text at the beginning of each chapter. More explanations and/or anectodes are provided at the end of the book. There are hints at his life and personality but this book has not been designed to satisfy a reader seeking such information. It is for displaying his photographs only. The order is chronological but not strictly so. The earliest examples are from his childhood! The design and printing quality is very good. The price is not outrageous. I liked the book very much and I still reach it to look at some of the photographs I admire...

"Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs" covers his work from the 1920s through the 1960s, organized chronologically into the largest compilation ever published of his work. Over one-third of the photos took place in the Sierra Nevada mountains - his favorite area. Adams was able to transform geographic reality into moving emotional experiences. Though a passion for the preservation of the natural world guided his photographs, he also included photos of buildings and an occasional individual. Close-ups and long-views, sunny and cloudy days - all were mastered by Adams. I particularly like to look at these photos before going out with my camera - helps generate ideas.

If you want 400 finely reproduced photographs of the oeuvre of one of the greatest black and white photographers, Ansel Adams, then you must get this book. The photographs are reproduced with the fine attention to detail, shadow and contrast that Adams would have demanded. It was amazing to see his first photographs of Yosemite when he was 14 years old. Turning each page, one stumbles across photographs one has forgotten or never seen, or those one can never forget. Even though the book could have been just a little bit bigger, it is a nice size to fit on your lap without breaking your arms. This is a must-get book for any Adams' enthusiast.