Ansel Adams

Ansel Adam was an American photographer and environmentalist most well known for his photos of the American West, especially Yosemite park.  As a child he had trouble fitting in at school which is why he turned to nature and became so involved in the environment.  Adams started his artistic career as a musician and soon gave that up for photography, which influenced much of his photographs.  Adams became friends with Albert M. Bender who was an insurance artist and patron of the arts.  This changed his career because it allowed his creative energies and ability as an artist to improve.  He began to pursue straight photography which emphasized the clarity of the lens and gave the picture no appearance of manipulation. Adams produced many technical manuals on photography throughout his life which became some of the most influential books on the subject. He saw Yosemite National Park as an environmental issue of particular importance and strove to preserve wilderness.  He often took high drama photos of nature as a way of preserving and protecting the wilderness.  Adams was an influential figure in the landscape art tradition of the 19th century in America.

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