Manly Beacon, Death Valley National Monument, California c. 1952 - 1981

This black and white photograph of Death Valley was captured by Ansel Adams, a master of light and shadow. Adams was such a technical wizard. You can almost feel him behind the camera, fiddling with the aperture and exposure. He must have waited for just the right moment when the light softened to capture the textures of those dunes. Look at how those long ridges seem to ripple and flow like fabric. It's a desert, but somehow, it feels soft, you know? The way he frames the beacon against the clouds gives it a sense of monumentality, like a cathedral rising out of the earth. It is a testament to how landscape photography can transform a place, inviting us to see it not just as scenery, but as something deeply meaningful. Adams knew how to make you feel small, but also, strangely connected to something huge. He really did his homework, building upon the great photographic surveys of the American West from the 19th century, always learning from his friends and predecessors.