Ansel Adams

Vernal Falls by Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was born on February 20, 1902 to Charles Hitchcock Adams and Olive Adams nee Bray. Ansel Adams came from a affluent family, as his grandfather was a wealthy timber baron, but one without much money, as the family lost most of their fortune in the financial scare of 1907.
When Adams was four, an aftershock of the great earthquake of 1906 threw him to the ground. This resulted in a badly broken nose, which was to mark him for the rest of his life. This broken nose, couple with a certain natural shyness and probably learning disabilities, lead to Adams having a difficult time fitting in to a normal classroom setting. Adams' parents sent him to several schools in an attempt to find a place that would work for him. Unfortunately, Ansel Adams was unsuccessful at all of these schools. Eventually, he was pulled from school and was tutored by his father and aunt. He went on to earn a "legalized diploma", which is the equivalent of an eighth grade education.
Several positive, and lifelong, results came of Adams' solitary childhood. One very important one was the love of nature. Often, Adams would take long walks in the still-wild reaches of the Golden Gate. Nearly every day found him hiking the dunes or meandering along Lobos Creek, down to Baker Beach, or out to the very edge of the American continent. This love for nature eventually lead Adams to his final career. 
Another result of Adams' unique childhood was the joy of music. When Adams was twelve he taught himself to play the piano and read music. Soon he was taking lessons, and the ardent pursuit of music became his substitute for formal schooling. For the next dozen years the piano was Adams' primary occupation and, by 1920, his intended profession.
In 1916, Adams first visited Yosemite. The park transfixed him. After his first visit, Adams spent considerable time there, until his death in 1984. It was here that Adams first started using the Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie his parents had given him. With his Kodak in hand, Adams hiked, climbed and explored this extraordinary place, gaining self-confidence and self-esteem with every visit. Adams even met his wife, Virginia Best, in Yosemite.
Perhaps the most important year to Adams was 1927. It was this year that he made his first fully visualized photograph, Monolith, the Face of Half Dome and came under the influence of Albert M. Bender, a San Francisco insurance magnate and patron of arts and artists. Literally the day after they met, Bender set in motion the preparation and publication of Adams' first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. It was also during this year that Adams fully switched careers from pianist to photographer.
Throughout his life, Adams took thousands of black and white photographs. Now, after his death, Adams' photos can fetch thousands of dollars. 
Vernal Falls, the Yosemite Park photograph pictured above, is one of my favorite shots by Ansel Adams. I love the contrast between the rushing white falls and the dark rocks and trees. The spray from the waterfall also adds an interesting effect to the photo. It almost reminds me of a watercolor picture of fog covered mountains.