Oak Tree, Snowstorm, Yosemite National Park, California Possibly 1948 - 1981

Ansel Adams made this gelatin silver print of an Oak Tree in Yosemite, sometime in the 20th century. He was a master of black and white photography, and here he uses a full range of grays to capture the stark beauty of a snowstorm. It's a scene of stillness, and the marks of nature are so evident. Look at how the snow clings to the branches, each flake a tiny brushstroke. The texture is so palpable, you can almost feel the cold. And then, there's the contrast between the dark trunk and the snow-laden branches, a dance of light and shadow. Adams lets the crispness of the scene speak for itself, almost like a painting, but with light. The soft focus in the background hints at the vastness of the park. You see a tree, but you also get a portrait of a moment, a process of weather, and the artistry of seeing. Like Edward Weston or Alfred Stieglitz, Adams turned the natural world into something timeless. It makes you think about how we frame the world, and how much beauty there is in just paying attention.