Ansel Adams - Artist Biography

Few nature photographers are as well known--and as beloved--as Ansel Adams. Born in 1902 in San Francisco, Adams would get a late start on photography but nonetheless would grow into one of the most talented and skilled photographic artists of the 20th century. His eventual success both as a person and as a professional are even more impressive when one considers the unusual course of his early childhood.

Ansel Adams: Master at Capturing Nature
Ansel Adams had the luck of being born into a wealthy family--but his luck wouldn't last long. During the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 (when Adams was just a boy), he was thrown harshly to the ground, breaking his nose and disfiguring him for life. Quite literally adding insult to injury, his family's fortune was for the most part completely lost during the financial panic of the following year.

Despite these setbacks (and perhaps as a result of them), Adams grew into a confident, independent-minded young adult. Early on he seemed destined for a career as a concert pianist, but found more luck with nature photography during expeditions into the Sierra Nevada Mountains with the Sierra Club (of which he was one of the original members). Adams' success with photography quickly convinced him that he could make a better life taking pictures than he could playing the piano.

For this fact, the world should be deeply grateful. Over the course of his career, Ansel Adams produced some of the most breathtaking and memorable photographs in existence. Many of these images are available in poster form, and you can find a large assortment of them on our website.