This photo is by American photographer Ansel Easton Adams, and is title San Dunes, Oceano, California. This photo was presumably shot in 1950, but wasn’t printed until 1978. The elements that make this photo unique are the contradicting textures, lines of movement, and shading. What strike you first when viewing this piece are the vertical sand lines. They account for about 9/10 of the photo (vertically) which gives them a great presence. The contrasting shading in the grooves as well as the spacing of the lines as the photo moves from bottom to top gives the photo depth and height perception. What makes the composition more dramatic is the sliver of a cliffside range on the top. The contrast between the vertical lines and horizontal cliffside gives the photo a sense of barrier, like a wall that can’t be crossed is waiting at the top of the trek through the sand. The shading of the cliffside is also contrasting to the sand which makes its presence more amplified. Another interesting topic to point out is that the title implies that these dunes are holy because the title isn’t sand dunes, it is san dunes which means saint in latin. Perhaps this is supposed to correlate with the theme that you can climb the sand dunes, but can’t get past the cliffside barrier to something holy that lies on the other side.
Adams, Ansel Easton. San Dunes, Oceano, California. Taken 1950, printed 1978. Gelatin Silver Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.