Ansel Adams

Cole Jackson

    

    Ansel Easton Adams was a photographer from San Francisco born in 1902. His stunning black-and-white nature photographs of the western U.S. are what earned him his fame. As a child Ansel’s life was erratic, at just 4 years old he was injured in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, he was thrown face-first into a wall leaving his nose permanently injured. He had a hard time fitting in to social groups. He was expelled or left from every school he attended, so he was homeschooled from the age of 12. Living in San Francisco Adam’s favorite place to be was the in the forests and dunes near the Golden Gate Bridge, this is where he developed his appreciation for nature. Adam’s main inspiration was Yosemite National park and was the site of many of his most well known pieces. His first exposure to the park was in 1916 where he later at the age of 17 accepted a job as a custodian at The Sierra Club, headquartered in Yosemite. The Sierra Club became a vital piece of Adam’s early career in photography, he published his photos of the rustic yosemite landscape in the club’s bulletin. Adams stayed for 37 years and ended up becoming  politically involved being elected to the board of directors as a defendant of Yosemite. Adams photography served a huge purpose in promoting wilderness conservation. He went on to marry Virginia Best in 1928, who had inherited her father’s art studio. Adams went on to run the studio until he died April 22, 1984 in Monterey California leaving behind a legacy.To this day his photos are iconic and easily recognizable.