Ansel Adams' Photography And Environmentalism.

Born in San Francisco, California on February 20, 1902. As a child, Adams had many freedoms and lots of energy. He was an unattractive child, with big dark circles under his eyes, a crooked nose, and large ears. He was often teased by the other children about his hyperactivity and his looks. Adams was often rebellious and got into trouble at school, he didn’t like the structure and left school at age 12. His father began to homeschool him but it wasn’t very long before his father bought him a season pass to the Panama-Pacific Exposition, which he visited almost every day. After the exposition ended, Adams tried to go back to several different schools but failed. His father arranged for Adams to receive a signed diploma indicating that he had completed eighth grade at Mrs. Kate Wilkins’school. Years later he received honorary doctorates from Harvard, Yale, and the University of California at Berkley, and other universities for his artistic and environmental contributions to the world.

When Adams dropped out of school he began to search for something to keep him occupied. Adams’ neighbor Henry would often come over and show off his piano skills. Adams decided he wanted to learn, so he taught himself to play the piano at age twelve. His mother recognized his talent and immediately got him a teacher to enrich his piano skills. Quickly he became a passionate and serious pianist.

Sadly his work has gained more popularity since his death on April 22, 1984, in Monterey, California. He received his first camera in 1916 and photography quickly became his new passion. In the summer of 1919, Adams joined the Sierra Club so he could apply for the job of a custodian, in a small building that served as the Sierra Club’s headquarters in Yosemite. This is when his talent began to shine. He created what some say the most impressive photos of his career in the Yosemite Valley and to the High Sierra. He worked hard for the small salary he was paid and he believed in what the Sierra Club stood for- preserving and exploring the vast mountains and valleys of the Sierra range. While spending time in the Sierra Range he was trying to make a visual diary of the sights he visited.

By 1930 Adams had decided to push the piano to the side and focus on photography. He is well known across the United States for his photographs of the national parks. He was a leader of the conservation movement. He was devoted to showing off America's natural beauty; the wilderness, national parks, and untouched landscapes. Him being an environmentalist had a huge effect on his work. He later wrote, “How different would my life have been if it were not for these early hikes in the Sierra- if I had not experienced that memorable first trip to Yosemite-if I had not been raised by the ocean-if, if, if! Everything I have done or felt has been in some way influenced by the impact of the Natural Scene...I knew my destiny when I first experienced Yosemite.”