What do you think?
Rate this book
Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs
Ansel 400 Photographs presents the full spectrum of Adams' work in a single volume for the first time, offering the largest available compilation from his legendary photographic career. Beautifully produced and presented in an attractive landscape trim, Ansel 400 Photographs will appeal to a general gift-book audience as well as Adams' legions of dedicated fans and students.
The photographs are arranged chronologically into five major periods, from his first photographs made in Yosemite and the High Sierra in 1916 to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s up to his last important photographs from the 1960s. An introduction and brief essays on selected images provide information about Adams' life, document the evolution of his technique, and give voice to his artistic vision.
Few artists of any era can claim to have produced four hundred images of lasting beauty and significance. It is a testament to Adams' vision and lifetime of hard work that a book of this scale can be compiled. Ansel 400 Photographs is a must-have for anyone who appreciates photography and the allure of the natural world.
The photographs are arranged chronologically into five major periods, from his first photographs made in Yosemite and the High Sierra in 1916 to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s up to his last important photographs from the 1960s. An introduction and brief essays on selected images provide information about Adams' life, document the evolution of his technique, and give voice to his artistic vision.
Few artists of any era can claim to have produced four hundred images of lasting beauty and significance. It is a testament to Adams' vision and lifetime of hard work that a book of this scale can be compiled. Ansel 400 Photographs is a must-have for anyone who appreciates photography and the allure of the natural world.
440 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2007
30 people are currently reading
1820 people want to read
About the author
Ansel Adams
414 books361 followersPeople note black-and-white photographs of the American wilderness of American photographer Ansel Easton Adams.
Though wilderness and the environment were his grand passions, photography was his calling, his metier, his raison d'etre.
From: Ansel Adams, Photographer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_A...
Though wilderness and the environment were his grand passions, photography was his calling, his metier, his raison d'etre.
From: Ansel Adams, Photographer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_A...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 5, 2017
--Introduction: The Long View, by Andrea G. Stillman
--1916-1930: Yosemite and the High Sierra
--1931-1939: Group f/64 and Alfred Stieglitz
--1940-1949: National Parks and Monuments
--1950-1959: Conservation, Publications, and Commissions
--1960-1968: Carmel
--Notes on Selected Photographs
--Afterword
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Title Index
Subject Index
Credits
Colophon
--1916-1930: Yosemite and the High Sierra
--1931-1939: Group f/64 and Alfred Stieglitz
--1940-1949: National Parks and Monuments
--1950-1959: Conservation, Publications, and Commissions
--1960-1968: Carmel
--Notes on Selected Photographs
--Afterword
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Title Index
Subject Index
Credits
Colophon
April 8, 2019
There is something about a photograph by Ansel Adams that can make you feel dwarfed by the size of the landscapes he so brilliantly captured, even though the image is in a book. I was lucky enough to visit Yosemite many years ago and have some reference to some of the places he photographed. This book is probably the most well known collection currently available and is a worthy addition to anyone's bookshelf if they are interested in mesmerizing photos of stunning vistas.
March 20, 2008
No one has visually captured the rugged beauty of North American like Ansel Adams. In "Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs," the reader takes both a chronological and comprehensive journey through the life's work of this American visionary. Many places of natural beauty were photographed repeatedly by Adams over six decades, from childhood photos of Half Dome in 1916 to classic Ansel Adams icons, like "Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, 1960." Adams was a technical giant, as well as an intuitive artist. Notes are included on selected images, providing insights into mystical moments of light and shadow, like the image captured by just one 8x10 negative, the famous "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941". Both meditative and mesmerizing, this compilation of Adam's photographs is the largest ever published.
August 9, 2017
An antidote for serious smart TV bingeing, this book slows my mind down.
It is a healing balm for the accelerating input of images and information that can assault me daily.
From another time, the slower perspective is evident to me.
His eye for composition and his sense of light are wondrous.
He accompanies Robinson Jeffers well.
Both are a relief from the hook of image drunkeness I fall into with YouTube, Prime Videos, Cable marketing posing as news, Facebook and the like.
It is a healing balm for the accelerating input of images and information that can assault me daily.
From another time, the slower perspective is evident to me.
His eye for composition and his sense of light are wondrous.
He accompanies Robinson Jeffers well.
Both are a relief from the hook of image drunkeness I fall into with YouTube, Prime Videos, Cable marketing posing as news, Facebook and the like.
August 29, 2019
So Ansel Adams is widely regarded as the pre-eminent photographer of the North American landscape and that view is amply justified by this book spanning his entire career from amateur teen to elder statesman of the photographic world. More surprisingly it also demonstrates that Adams was also capable of great work in the genres of protraiture, architecture and macros, too.
The book is organised by decade and it is interesting to note that Adams attained technical mastery before he fully grasped compositional mastery. (He openly admitted this and it's clear in the book.) Now my photographic skills are insignificant compared to many a dedicated amateur, let alone one of history's greatest, but the bit I find interesting and rewarding is the framing of a picture. Technicalities bore me. It's encouraging to find that even a genius such as Adams surely was had to actively learn how to do it.
Anyway, great book if you want an overview of Adams' personal (as opposed to commercial 'gun for hire') work.
The book is organised by decade and it is interesting to note that Adams attained technical mastery before he fully grasped compositional mastery. (He openly admitted this and it's clear in the book.) Now my photographic skills are insignificant compared to many a dedicated amateur, let alone one of history's greatest, but the bit I find interesting and rewarding is the framing of a picture. Technicalities bore me. It's encouraging to find that even a genius such as Adams surely was had to actively learn how to do it.
Anyway, great book if you want an overview of Adams' personal (as opposed to commercial 'gun for hire') work.
December 12, 2024
every photograph was like coming home
December 24, 2021
Earlier this month we traveled to Richmond to see a display of Adams’ work at the VMFA. Absolutely wonderful. Even though I have coffee-table-sized books of Adams’ work, I’m in awe of how good his work appears when the actual prints are seen.
One here that really captured my attention was Dunes, White Sands National Monument, 1942. Absolutely stunning. But I didn’t recall having seen this one before. In this book of 400, a similar shot of White Sands from 1941 is included, but it’s not as good as the 1942 that was on display.
And I can’t wait to be able to go back to White Sands again!
Another one on display that really stood out for me was Siesta Lake, Yosemite, 1958. While a print of this is in the book, seeing it full sized and on the wall was a totally different experience.
8-10 years ago I remember being enthralled with an exhibit of Adams’ work at the Corcoran in D.C. what made this exhibit remarkable was in addition to showing the final print (the “performance” according to Adams), side by side they showed the original (the “score”), and sometimes one or two intermediate stages if I recall correctly.
One here that really captured my attention was Dunes, White Sands National Monument, 1942. Absolutely stunning. But I didn’t recall having seen this one before. In this book of 400, a similar shot of White Sands from 1941 is included, but it’s not as good as the 1942 that was on display.
And I can’t wait to be able to go back to White Sands again!
Another one on display that really stood out for me was Siesta Lake, Yosemite, 1958. While a print of this is in the book, seeing it full sized and on the wall was a totally different experience.
8-10 years ago I remember being enthralled with an exhibit of Adams’ work at the Corcoran in D.C. what made this exhibit remarkable was in addition to showing the final print (the “performance” according to Adams), side by side they showed the original (the “score”), and sometimes one or two intermediate stages if I recall correctly.
June 20, 2011
The photographs are arranged chronologically into five major periods, from his first photographs made in Yosemite and the High Sierra in 1916 to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s up to his last important photographs from the 1960s.
February 19, 2013
A true master of black and white in a time before photoshop and high tech photography.
Want to read
September 27, 2017#BestCoffeeTableBooks #BestGiftableCoffeeTableBooks
ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS presents the full spectrum of Adams' work in a single volume for the first time, offering the largest available compilation from his legendary photographic career. Beautifully produced and presented in an attractive landscape trim, ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS will appeal to a general gift-book audience as well as Adams' legions of dedicated fans and students. The photographs are arranged chronologically into five major periods, from his first photographs, taken in Yosemite and the High Sierra in 1916, to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s, up to his last important photographs from the 1960s. An introduction and brief essays on selected images provide information about Adams' life, document the evolution of his technique, and give voice to his artistic vision. Few artists of any era can claim to have produced four hundred images of lasting beauty and significance. It is a testament to Adams' vision and lifetime of hard work that a book of this scale can be compiled. ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS is a must-have for anyone who appreciates photography and the allure of the natural world.
ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS presents the full spectrum of Adams' work in a single volume for the first time, offering the largest available compilation from his legendary photographic career. Beautifully produced and presented in an attractive landscape trim, ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS will appeal to a general gift-book audience as well as Adams' legions of dedicated fans and students. The photographs are arranged chronologically into five major periods, from his first photographs, taken in Yosemite and the High Sierra in 1916, to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s, up to his last important photographs from the 1960s. An introduction and brief essays on selected images provide information about Adams' life, document the evolution of his technique, and give voice to his artistic vision. Few artists of any era can claim to have produced four hundred images of lasting beauty and significance. It is a testament to Adams' vision and lifetime of hard work that a book of this scale can be compiled. ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS is a must-have for anyone who appreciates photography and the allure of the natural world.
November 30, 2021
I loved this book! As someone who has taken my fair share of photos of the beautiful places I have traveled visiting 30+ National Parks, I was entranced and inspired by this collection. There is a definite art in his black and white photography, which made me appreciate Ansel for his work even more. Somehow his photos can be simplistic yet stunningly complex at the same time. It's fascinating.
I almost wish there was a side by side comparison of the photos in black and white next to them in color. That would be mind blowing for comparitive purposes. For two reasons - 1)part of me does start to miss color after staring at B&W for extended periods of time, but more importantly 2) i think it would highlight how genius some of the b&w phots actually are
I almost wish there was a side by side comparison of the photos in black and white next to them in color. That would be mind blowing for comparitive purposes. For two reasons - 1)part of me does start to miss color after staring at B&W for extended periods of time, but more importantly 2) i think it would highlight how genius some of the b&w phots actually are
November 23, 2025
We all know this - "if you want to write well, read well".
This book is the direct analogue to this saying in photography. To other people, it might be a coffee table book - but it is an encyclopedia to me. Having a chronological progression through his life makes evident the evolution in his artistic journey. Going through this book genuinely made me understand how beautiful black and white photography could be. What a "developed eye" means. I am a better photographer because of this book.
I don't need to speak to the quality of the photos themselves - this is Ansel we're talking about.
This book is the direct analogue to this saying in photography. To other people, it might be a coffee table book - but it is an encyclopedia to me. Having a chronological progression through his life makes evident the evolution in his artistic journey. Going through this book genuinely made me understand how beautiful black and white photography could be. What a "developed eye" means. I am a better photographer because of this book.
I don't need to speak to the quality of the photos themselves - this is Ansel we're talking about.
February 28, 2020
Ansel Adams was a pioneering photographer and environmental activist. The book covers these periods in his life:
Introduction:
--1916-1930: Yosemite and the High Sierra
--1931-1939: Group f/64 and Alfred Stieglitz
--1940-1949: National Parks and Monuments
--1950-1959: Conservation, Publications, and Commissions
--1960-1968: Carmel
it's mostly about his photography, but intertwines activism.
His photographs, mostly in black and white, are some of the most stunning examples of nature and urban scenery
Introduction:
--1916-1930: Yosemite and the High Sierra
--1931-1939: Group f/64 and Alfred Stieglitz
--1940-1949: National Parks and Monuments
--1950-1959: Conservation, Publications, and Commissions
--1960-1968: Carmel
it's mostly about his photography, but intertwines activism.
His photographs, mostly in black and white, are some of the most stunning examples of nature and urban scenery
September 25, 2020
The photographs are as beautiful and moving as you'd expect.
It's just that Adams' sight requires a book with supersized, landscape pages.
In other words, his work is meant for viewing on museum-lit walls, especially given Adams' attention to magical light in his work. (Wish all of his photographs were in one place. What a pilgrimage that would be.)
The notes are interesting--honestly (and probably unfairly) I didn't pay a lot of attention to them. But if you appreciate encyclopedic-style entries more than I do, this really is a great text.
It's just that Adams' sight requires a book with supersized, landscape pages.
In other words, his work is meant for viewing on museum-lit walls, especially given Adams' attention to magical light in his work. (Wish all of his photographs were in one place. What a pilgrimage that would be.)
The notes are interesting--honestly (and probably unfairly) I didn't pay a lot of attention to them. But if you appreciate encyclopedic-style entries more than I do, this really is a great text.
September 21, 2022
I bought this book to have have a real look at at the famous images of Adams from the wild landscape of North America. I was disappointed at how small some of the images are but of course I should have expected that with reference to the title. I recommend it as as a coffee table book, not to offend the author but rather to confirm that it would be interesting to anyone at all. Adams was a key figure in the the protection of the wilderness and his love for it is apparent in these images. I would rather have had less images and larger ones.
January 20, 2023
5/5
I consider Ansel Adams a true master of landscape photography.
As a professional landscape photographer myself, I often come back to his books to find inspiration, and every time, I notice and learn something new.
The 400 photographs of Ansel Adams present an amazing and timeless work of art.
Every landscape photographer should have this book to their collection.
I consider Ansel Adams a true master of landscape photography.
As a professional landscape photographer myself, I often come back to his books to find inspiration, and every time, I notice and learn something new.
The 400 photographs of Ansel Adams present an amazing and timeless work of art.
Every landscape photographer should have this book to their collection.
March 26, 2023
Stunning! Such a creative and perceptive eye - and he was shooting in gorgeous places, of course; but across all scopes, from the vast desert landscapes and towering rock formations in Yosemite to the close-up shots of flowers or ferns or thistles against a fence, his photos are so captivating and evocative.
December 26, 2024
Really, this is the third time I've been through this wonderful collection. In my opinion, Ansel Adams was one of the premier artists of the 20th Century and his work a celebration of the natural world. I first encountered his work as a boy and I have never tired of him. Others have since become as good, but no one has surpassed him.
May 6, 2025
A great way of getting to know or revisiting the talent of this genius of landscape photography, forever connected with the vast American outdoors and National Parks.
This specific book chooses to show us many photos, in chronological order, and the size of each of the prints is not the perfect one to appreciate the genius behind it. It’s a great portfolio, not a 5 star artistic showcase.
This specific book chooses to show us many photos, in chronological order, and the size of each of the prints is not the perfect one to appreciate the genius behind it. It’s a great portfolio, not a 5 star artistic showcase.
March 22, 2018
I love Adam’s work. Many of these I’d never seen before, but I was happy to see that he progressed through his career as many of us do; slowly and surely.
December 22, 2019
This book illustrates the evolution of Ansel Adams' work. If you like landscape Photography, you will find it truly inspiring.
July 22, 2020
In love 🖤🤍
February 5, 2021
Fascinating, gripping, left me speechless
September 7, 2021
Very good book allowing us to see most of Adams' portfolio.
July 31, 2022
The photographs and organization thereof are easily five stars.
But the notes are entirely out of order, which make them basically impossible to refer to. Which made me deduct a full star.
But the notes are entirely out of order, which make them basically impossible to refer to. Which made me deduct a full star.
September 11, 2022
I never thought I would learn so much from a book of photographs and very little commentary! Excellently curated and I am sure I will return to it frequently for instruction and inspiration.
December 5, 2022
Solid but selected descriptions are in the appendix and not with the actual photos.
March 29, 2023
Beautiful photography. Excellent book of Adam's work.
September 23, 2023
Great collection through out his life
December 7, 2023
If you are serious about B&W film photography, Ansel Adams body of work is well worth looking at. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews