The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Ansel Adams
Description
Subject Matter:
Taken from an elevated perspective, this photograph shows the Snake River winding through a mountainous valley. Coniferous trees cluster along its banks as it flows serpentine-like through the landscape, forming wide, graceful bends. In the distance, the jagged peaks of the Teton Mountains loom along the horizon, snow embedded in the crags of their summits. Above, a brooding expanse of clouds has begun to block out the sun, the last gleams of its radiance reflecting in the river below. While the landscape descends into shadow, these last rays of light are reflected brightly in the river’s surface, causing it to glisten in the darkening valley. This atmospheric shift and brooding mountain range create a dramatic mood, and lend the vast landscape a sublime majesty. Sharply focused, the image’s clarity offers a sumptuous array of textures, from the rippling of the river’s current, the vaporous movement of the clouds, to the barren crags of the mountains’ peaks.
Physical Description:
This photograph depicts an elevated, wide view of a curving river winding through a wooded valley, with snowcapped mountains rising in the distance. The sky above the landscape is filled with clouds.
Usage Rights:
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