Sam Abell was born in 1945 in Sylvania, Ohio. Sam Abell’s love of photography began from the influence of his father who was a geography teacher who ran a photography club. Abell Graduated from the University of Kentucky in Lexington where he majored in English, minored in Journalism, and was the editor of the Kentuckian Yearbook.

He is known for his frequent publication of photographs in National Geographic. He first worked for National Geographic in 1970, and is one of the more overly artistic photographers among his magazine peers. His style of photography is documentary, and his best work is known for its transcendent qualities. He has photographed more than 20 articles on various cultural and wilderness subjects. His job has taken him around the world, including the Galapagos Islands, and the Australian Outback.
            Abell has lectured on photography, and exhibited his images to audiences throughout the world. In 2002, the university of Virginia Art Museum organized a traveling exhibition of his work called: The Photographic Life. Abell has observed that equipment is not the major factor in success or failure of a photographer. He has used Nikons, Leica, Olympus, and Canon.
            Abell doesn’t use zooms, and thinks that short focal length zooms were dangerous because it is easy to distort perspectives. His goal is to capture an image that is so powerful that it will have to be published. He characterized his style as a layered style, and looked for elements that worked together to provide depth to the photo. His approach is to to first identify the background; afterwards you wait for the light and subject to complete the photo. Abell doesn’t use a flash; he favors early morning and late afternoon or evening light. For the first fifteen years of his career, he worked in black and white.

In 2009, Abell received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Toledo. The books that he has published are deemed essential for any photographic book collector. I personally like Abell’s distinct style. His photographs capture the eye, they are artistic, bright, and dynamic.

Photo 1: This photo has two several layers of depth. First the two horses that are weighted to the lower left hand corner, the grass they are standing on, the fog, the hills, more fog, and the hills again. I think this photo is eye catching because of all the white plain fog, and the few colored objects. It horses definitely contrast, and the shadows on them make it seem eerie.

Photo 2: This is titled a Boab Tree. It has layers of depth, the grass, the tree, and the sky. Abell captures the contrasts well. The tree is the main subject, and yet the grass almost seems more forward. The coloring is rich, and the sky lighting adds to the overall composition. I think that Abell took this from a low angle, and it’s a good shot.

Photo 3: This is titled A Beautiful Pathway Lined with Trees and Azaleas. The road, the azaleas, and the trees all stand out. The lines of the road and trees are prominent, but the azaleas stand out in color. Altogether they trees create a discombobulated pattern. The depth of the end of the road is what the eye follows.

ANSEL EASTON ADAMS

Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist. He was best known for his black and white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite. He was born February 20^th, 1902, and lived until April 22^nd, 1984. Growing up, Adams was an only child. He grew up in an upper class family in San Francisco, California. Adams was a hyperactive child, and he was often sick and had few friends. His home and surroundings became his entertainment. In 1916, he first visit Yosemite National Park, and using a Kodak Brownie box camera, he took his first photographs. The following year, with better equipment he returned and took more pictures. He learned basic darkroom techniques in San Francisco working for a photo finisher. He also read photography magazines, attended club meetings, and went to photography and art exhibits. 

In 1927, Adams produced his first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. He used his Korona view camera with glass plates and a dark red filter.  His first portfolio was a success, earning nearly $3,900 and he came to realize how important that his carefully crafter photos were reproduced to best effect. In the 1931 Adams was able to put on his first solo museum exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, which featured 60 prints taken in the High Sierra. Adam continued to be very successful, and with Fred Archer, he developed the Zone System as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of a final print. His photographs are widely distributed as calendars, posters, and in books.

This photo was taken in color, and the photo was edited to black and white. I also used a vignette setting, which darkened the outer corners. The light background contrasts with the dark borders. The photo was taken with no flash, and from a low angle. It was cropped so that there was no unnecessary lines or shadows. 

This photo was also taken in color. Then the contrast was adjusted, it was cropped, and the edges were blurred. It was also edited to black and white settings. The subjects face is the main focus, and it is a sharp contrast compared to the background. The picture was taken without a flash, and from an straight ahead angle. 

This photo has a strong background. The green is bright, and it contrasts with Aimee’s eyes.  It could have been cropped better at the elbow, but otherwise the cropping helps centralize Aimee’s face. The color was slightly adjusted to be brighter, but white shirt also helps make it stand out. The photo was taken from a low angle, and both the subject and the background appeal to the eye. 

This picture was taken at the Alhambra in Spain. The architecture, the shapes, and the bright colors make it appealing to the eye. The reflection on the water adds to the dynamic balance because they eyes is not attracted to one single part of the picture but the whole photograph itself. This picture could have been cropped better, and the shadows on the back wall could have been eliminated.

This picture was taken in Spain is of Antoni Gaudi’s work.  The depth, the angle, and the patterns in this picture stand out. It has three levels of depth, the mosaic benches, the castle-like building, and the city lines in the background. All angles of the photo are interesting to look at; however, it is a bit busy.  There is not a definite structure, but it does not have excess dead space.

This photo was taken on a rainy day through a moving bus window. It has a blurred effect, and the telephone wires are prominent lines. The building is weighted in the bottom right of the nine grid zone. It does not have bright colors, however the subtle details attract the eye. This is not a close up of any particular object, but it has dynamic balance because the eye is not attracted to one single part of the picture. In retrospect, I think the edges should have been cropped a bit.