Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist. He was best known for his black and white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite. He was born February 20th, 1902, and lived until April 22nd, 1984. Growing up, Adams was an only child. He grew up in an upper class family in San Francisco, California. Adams was a hyperactive child, and he was often sick and had few friends. His home and surroundings became his entertainment. In 1916, he first visit Yosemite National Park, and using a Kodak Brownie box camera, he took his first photographs. The following year, with better equipment he returned and took more pictures. He learned basic darkroom techniques in San Francisco working for a photo finisher. He also read photography magazines, attended club meetings, and went to photography and art exhibits.
In 1927, Adams produced his first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. He used his Korona view camera with glass plates and a dark red filter. His first portfolio was a success, earning nearly $3,900 and he came to realize how important that his carefully crafter photos were reproduced to best effect. In the 1931 Adams was able to put on his first solo museum exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, which featured 60 prints taken in the High Sierra. Adam continued to be very successful, and with Fred Archer, he developed the Zone System as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of a final print. His photographs are widely distributed as calendars, posters, and in books.
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