Consider Ansel Adams's The Tetons-Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, included in this chapter of the text. Select three of the principles of design and discuss how Adams has considered these principles in his work.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary, but can cover these:
Rhythm: In Adams's work, the river winds around in a manner that draws our eyes to move around the artwork, drawing attention ultimately to the majestic peak in the background. The angular, jagged mountain peaks create exciting accents, like cymbal crashes in an orchestral composition. Repeated pine trees throughout add staccato rhythms to the piece. 
Emphasis: In Adams's work, emphasis achieved primarily through placement and focus. The largest peak is emphasized by placing it in a central location. Adams makes sure the mountain is in clear focus, giving it greater emphasis than the other objects in the image.  
Size and Proportion: As Adams was intent on capturing the grandeur of the American landscape, he uses scale to demonstrate the immensity of the natural world. In this image, placing the mountains behind trees, give the viewer an exact sense of how big the Tetons actually are. 
Unity and Variety: In this photograph, Adams creates unity through his use of framing and focusing. In choosing to frame the river and mountain in this way, he achieves symmetrical placement of two large natural objects, opposite each other on a horizontal axis, creating visual unity. Variety is offered by the small details in the work-trees, clouds, and a wide range of lights and darks.