Ansel Adams was one of America’s most influential photographers, celebrated for his striking black-and-white landscapes of the American West. Best known for his iconic images of Yosemite National Park and other national parks, Adams combined technical mastery with a deep commitment to environmental conservation. In the 1930s, he co-founded Group f/64, which championed sharply focused “pure” photography, and later helped develop the groundbreaking Zone System with photographer Fred Archer to control tonal range and exposure in photographic printing. Adams’ lifelong advocacy for wilderness preservation was closely tied to his art, and his photographs played a significant role in promoting the expansion of the U.S. National Park system. Beyond his artistic achievements, he helped establish photography as a respected fine art through his work with the photography department at Museum of Modern Art, the magazine Aperture, and the Center for Creative Photography in Arizona.
