Mike Petrakis

Dr Essid

English 103: Expository Writing

September 22^nd, 2009

                                                “Clearing Winter Storm”

            A photographer's job is to create a work that draws out the emotions of the audience when they see the portrait. It is to make the audience feel the same emotions from the portrait as if they had seen the portrait in real life.  Ansel Adam’s portrait “Clearing Winter Storm” is one of the most unique portraits I have ever seen. It is a picture taken in Yosemite National Park, in California. The most magnificent fact about the photo is that the shot was taken at the perfect time - as the clouds were rolling in, before visibility decreased, and the photographer seems to be in the perfect position. Ansel Adams mastered photography captured nature in its most beautiful state, created in the essence of God. 

            I view the enormous boulder on the right side as the focal point of the portrait. The boulder and the clouds are the lightest shade in the portrait; thus being the easiest to see and decipher. The boulder points out in such a way that it seems as though it is from a story in the Bible about a man climbing on top of a mountain trying to reach God. The waterfall makes the eye concentrate more closely on the boulder, and indicates nature in its essence. The light that has not been taken by the storm still remains on the boulder, which is why we can still see the waterfall. The top of the boulder seems like a place that can never be reached by man, as if God protects it. God Protects the boulder with a fortress made up of the forests that lie below it, the waterfall guarding it, and the steepness of the boulder itself. It is a fortress unattainable that God created to preserve nature.  To me, the boulder represents finding the road to Heaven. It is an extremely difficult journey and takes much dedication, but once you make it “up there”; it is the best feeling a man can achieve. The secondary focal points represent the difficult journey of making it to the top.

            As a secondary focal point the clouds stand out because it makes me sense ambiguity. Seeing the clouds gives me a certain sense of uncertainty. The clouds are bringing in a storm where one would be unsure of its powerful affects; thus showing that nature can be destructive. Along with this idea, the waterfall points to me nature in its beauty and essence. It implies that nature, no matter how powerful or pristine, harmful or beneficial, dangerous or relaxing it can be, it is still beautiful. But, viewing something as beautiful can be a very treacherous mistake without knowing its effects. For instance, the waterfall is beautiful, but it is deceiving because it has the power to kill. Many beautiful things in nature are often very dangerous, such as a volcano or a tornado. Another very intriguing focal point is the valley that sits below the enormous mountains and boulders. The valley is endless; it is somewhere where only the mountains can see the exit to, not any human.

            These focal points make the scene look as if it has been there for all of existence but never touched by a human. Since it is so pristine and unique, it represents beauty but at the same time darkness. God created Heaven as something you have to achieve. For man, reaching Heaven can be achieved by being a good person with moral qualities, by helping others, and by living his life with a full dedication to God. It is not easy, just as in order to make it to the top of the boulder, you have to dedicate yourself and work towards that goal. Making it to the top of the boulder is reaching the light, but getting there is symbolic of darkness since many dangerous paths would be crossed.

            The portrait depicts nature at its fullest. It is beautiful, but can be very destructive to man. Nature was designed by God, and preserved by God with its many qualities that make it defensive. The beauty of nature can be very deceiving because of its many dangers that lie within it. The darkness represents the dangers such as the valley, the waterfall, the clouds, and the steep boulder. The light is reaching the top of the boulder, being symbolic of reaching Heaven – a difficult journey, but if you make it, it would be worth it in the end.