Reaction Paper 4

Jennifer Peterson

                Adams' time for photography was primarily in the 1920s through the 1940s.  Obviously, for that time period when money was scarce, artwork was not a priority in most people's lives.  His photographs were landscape images of cliffs and mountains primarily.  He said he didn't want to focus on the social problems of the time because not everybody could relate to it the same, so he wanted to do the opposite.  This was done by taking photos of landscapes since people of all classes can admire and appreciate a beautiful landscape.  There were two aspects to photography that he found most important: he had to find the perfect position to set his camera up and after he got the negatives for the pictures, he had to decide which were the best to publicize.  I'm sure that for the time, being the best of the best was important to get public attention and make sales. 

                The biggest similarity between David Paul Bayles and Ansel Adams is that both artists are drawn to national parks and photographing them.  The difference between Bayles and Adams is that Bayles is obsessed with photographing trees of all sorts, while Adams takes photographs of cliffs and mountains.  Another big difference between these two photographers is that while Adams focused on photos of cliffs and mountains in their natural, beautiful, and most scenic point of view with the camera, Bayles takes photos of his trees from in strange angles and trees that are odd looking, in abnormal locations, falling down, and sometimes marked by paint or ribbons.  His portfolio "Urban Forest" especially demonstrates this because instead of the setting being in a national forest, the trees are photographed in cities and towns. 

                The purpose behind Adams' work was to go in the opposite direction of taking photographs of social problems of the time.  He wanted to create something that everybody could relate to and comprehend.  I believe the purpose of Bayles' artwork is to show trees in their beautiful state, and then in unnatural, sometimes sad states such as when they are falling or being torn down.  He even commented about how tree farms are beautiful in their mature state and how it's our only way to replenish what we have torn down to create malls and other such things.