Ansel Adams

When thinking about historical figures which have had the most profound influence on my life, I immediately think of artists and mainly Ansel Adams, arguably the most influential American photographer of all time. Adams was born in San Francisco California on Feb. 20, 1902. He went to private schools and was homeschooled, completing his 8th grade diploma at Mrs Kate M Wilkins Private School. He originally wanted to became a famous concert pianist, and taught himself to play when he was 12. He then visited Yosemite National Park two years later for the first time and this trip inspired him to pursue photography. His family supported him with his father giving him his first camera, a Kodak Brownie Box, and he later used a pocket kodak and an 8x10 view camera.

His success began upon the completion of his first portfolio,  Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras, which included his famous image “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome”. In terms of his artistic style, he always shot in black and white, as he experimented with color and believed it was distracting and hindering to the photographer. He also used glossy paper rather than matte, as it intensified tone values in his photos. Adams is considered the last and defining figure in the romantic tradition of nineteenth-century American landscape painting and photography, and his iconic black-and-white images helped to establish photography among the fine arts.

Adams was a revolutionary artist and developed the “Zone system” which determines the perfect exposure a development time per photo and is based on sensitometry. He also introduced “pre-visualization”, which is the concept of a photographer imagining what the final print is going to look like before taking the photo. He was not just an artist; however, but also an environmental activist. Adams rose to prominence as a photographer of the American West, particularly Yosemite National Park, using his work to promote conservation of wilderness areas. He saw the destruction of Yosemite by commercial development, so he created a book in an effort to secure it as a national park. His influence resulted in Yosemite being deemed a national park in 1940.

By the 1960s, he was suffering from gout and arthritis yet his influence continued. In 1972, Adams contributed images to publicize Proposition 20, which authorized California to regulate development along portions of its coast. He also cofounded the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona and produced a series of photographs to commemorate the University of California's centennial celebration. Additionally, in 1979, Carter commissioned Adams to make the first official photographic portrait of a U.S. president. Carter also awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his expansion of the National Park system through his photography. His other awards include; the Hasselblad Award, the Sierra Club John Muir Award, and the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada.

Clearly, Adams had a profound influence that stretched beyond the artistic sphere and delved into politics. He used his artistic fame to protect the environment and promote education, as such being an incredible role model for any of us.

 

Sources:

anseladams.com/

anseladams.com/about-ansel-adams/ansel-adams-biography/

ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ansel-adams-wilderness/poole-text

https://www.sfmoma.org/artist/Ansel_Adams