Historical Place Photographer -- Ansel Adams

Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California, 1927

Biography: Ansel Adams was born in 1902 and lived until 1984.  He was born in San Francisco, California.   

Significance: Ansel Adams is known for his landscape and nature photography, and the for the "patient skill and timeless beauty of his work" according to his website. He was also an avid environmentalist. Some credit his efforts as helping to preserve America's natural beauty. He was often criticized for not including humanity or evidence of humanity in his photographs.      

Technique: He is known for his black and white photography of the American west. He was drawn toward photographing America's natural monuments.  Adams pursued "straight photography" -- in which clarity was emphasized and the final print had the appearance of not being manipulated. He developed the "zone system" -- which allowed photographers to visualize an image and then to produce an image that matched their concept. 

Motivations: Adams was very dedicated to the preservation of nature, as he was a member of the Sierra Club. His photographs represent his love of nature and dedication to record and preserve America's natural beauty.  He wanted to capture this through his use of clarity and little to no manipulation of the print.