I’ve just finished exploring Trees by Ansel Adams, and found it to be a fascinating read. Prior to getting this book my closest experience with Adams’ work was from a large coffee table book I had been given that had left me uninspired and wondering what the big deal was. After reading Trees however, I have a new found appreciation for Adams’ work, and realize the extent to which depth and range of light can make his images so compelling. I pulled out my old coffee table book to compare with Trees and the difference is night and day. Trees uses an exceptionally high quality tritone printing process that conveys a rich interplay of shadow and light that was little in evidence in my coffee table book. Although the images are much smaller in Trees, their high quality and dynamic range more than makes up for that.

I live in the flat marshlands and prairies around Chicago, and there are no majestic peaks or canyons around to create breathtaking scenery of the type that Adams captured in Yosemite and other natural parks. Travel for me is a chance to shoot new scenic environments, however for most of the year my access to scenery is much more modest. I picked up Trees in order to help inspire me to better appreciate the arboreal features that are in my area, and in that regard I believe it was a success. Although many of Adams’ subject trees are magnificent specimens of redwoods and ancient junipers that cannot be found in my area, the collection features many interesting pictures of more modest subjects and intricate details that are worthy of attention.

I am looking forward to walking the small forests in my area in the coming weeks and months to see whether some of the inspiration provided by trees can rub off and apply to the trees that are accessible to me year round. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in exploring the different looks that trees can offer.