Great Black and White Photographers

Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 - April 22, 1984) 

Adams was born in San Francisco, California in an upper-class family. 

Ansel left school in 1915 to educate himself. He originally trained himself as a pianist, but Yosemite and the camera diverted his interest toward photography.

At age 17 Adams joined the Sierra Club, a group dedicated to preserving the natural world's wonders and resources. He remained a member throughout his lifetime and served as a director, as did his wife, Virginia. Adams then became an environmentalist in 1927, andIn 1952 Adams was one of the founders of the magazine Aperture.