Ansel Adams Research Paper

Ansel Adams is an American environmental activist and photographer best known for his iconic images of the American West, including Yosemite National Park. One of his famous quotes is “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” This quote is very inspirational and related to the type of photography he expresses. Most of his photographs consist of black and white landscapes because this is what he liked since his childhood. He was born on February 20th 1902 in San Francisco, California. His family originated from Ireland and migrated to California in the early 1700s. His father inherited his grandfather’s lumber business. Adam would criticize that industry for reducing …show more content…
Virginia inherited the studio from her artist father on his death in 1935, and the Adams family continued to operate the studio until 1971. The business, now known as the Ansel Adams Gallery, remains in the family. Adams’ professional breakthrough followed the publication of his first portfolio Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras that included his famous image “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome.” The portfolio was a success, leading to a number of commercial assignments. Between 1929 and 1942, Adams’ work and reputation developed. Adams expanded his series, focusing on detailed close-ups as well as large forms, from mountains to factories. He spent time in New Mexico with artists including Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O’Keeffe and Paul Strand. He began to publish essays and instructional books on …show more content…
Adams’ first cause was the protection of wilderness areas, including Yosemite. After the internment of Japanese people during World War II, Adams photographed life in the camps for a photo essay on wartime injustice. Weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Adams shot a scene of the moon rising above a village. Adams re-interpreted the image titled “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico” over nearly four decades, making over a thousand unique prints that helped him to achieve financial stability.
By the 1960s, appreciation of photography as an art form had expanded to the point at which Adams’ images were shown in large galleries and museums. In 1974, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hosted a retrospective exhibit. Adams spent much of the 1970s printing negatives in order to satisfy demand for his iconic works. Adams died on April 22 1984 at the age of 82 after a heart attack at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey,

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