The images shown help portray the vast mountain ranges around the world which many people do not have the luxury of being able to witness on a daily basis. The use of long shot, medium shot, and color by the photographer helps the reader comprehend the vast size and beauty of these various mountains.

The first photo depicts three hikers making their way around a lake in Greenland as they also take time to enjoy the magnificence of the place they are in. The camera is shot in a location far back from the hikers not only to show how enormous the mountain range is but also to show how cold and dark the climate of Greenland is. The use of color also helps depict the climate of Greenland in this photo as the only colors of the landscape are white, gray and black. The white snow and grey shows how cold it must be given that no sunlight is breaking through the clouds and snow only falls in very cold climates. The use of the color black hints at the lack of vegetation in the area these hikers are in as there are only black rocks instead of green plants.

The second photo is one of myself while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The uses of color and medium shot allows the reader view many things about my journey.  The color helps show how barren the mountain is towards the peak, the lack of the color green portrays the lack of vegetative growth due to the low oxygen levels at such a high altitude. The medium shot aids the reader in seeing the vast face of the mountain, as well as keeping the camera close enough in order to see how tired and fatigued I look on the ground given that this is quite far into my assent to the mountain.

The fourth photo portrays three hikers walking along a mountain in the French alps as they view the huge mountains in front of them. The use of color assists the reader in understanding many facts about this photo. The color green is commonly shown due to the high amount of vegetation, leading the reader to believe that this photo was taken in summer due to the fact that it gets so cold in the French alps during the winter and fall that the snow covers everything and no vegetation can be seen. The white snow on the mountain peaks that the hikers re looking at represent a higher altitude as temperature and altitude have a direct relationship, leading the reader to believe that these hikers have a much longer way to go in their long and beautiful hike in the French alps.

The final photo shows the view from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and the end of my assent. As in my last photo, the use of color and medium shot helps shows the various details of my environment. The color black in this photo helps the reader understand that there are no living plants at such an altitude due to the lack of oxygen. The color white portrays the temperature because of the white snow on the ground, hinting that it is probably very frigid at the summit. The color blue supports the idea that the mountain is so high that the peak reaches over the clouds, leaving the top half of the photo blue and the bottom half white because the clouds are floating below where I am standing. 

Throughout these photos the theme of adventure and exploration is presented through the visual elements listed above. Many people do not have the luxury of living in such beautiful and expansive places of nature such as the mountains of Greenland, Alaska, France, and Africa, leading people to travel to places such as these. One characteristic which makes places like these so unique is how harsh the conditions can be. The lack of oxygen creates a distinctive challenge for hikers and climbers everywhere as very few plants are able to live in these environments leading many animals to seek a lower altitude to live, as well as making it very hard to breath especially if the hiker is putting forth a lot of effort. The lower temperatures can have an adverse effect on hikers due to the rapid change that takes place in such short of time the higher you climb. For instance, one day you may be hiking in 60-degree weather surrounded by temperate forest, and the next you’ll find yourself walking on snow with not even a blade of grass in sight. Furthermore, the lack of people who live in areas such as these is astounding, knowing that the closest road, town, or any other form of civilization is ten miles or more away from you brings upon an eerie feeling to those who choose to venture out to the remote areas of the world .

 In conclusion, elements such as color, and the angle the camera is used at can give the reader more details about the location of the photo as well as the characters within and what they may have gone through before or after the time of the picture.