Making a Photographer

An unprecedented and revealing examination of the early career of one of America's most famous photographers Ansel Adams (1902-1984), one of the most influential photographers of his generation, is famous for his dramatic photographs of the American West. Although many images Adams' works are now iconic, his early work has remained largely unknown. In this first monograph devoted to the beginnings of the Adams' career, Rebecca A. Senf says these early photographs are essential to understanding Adams' artistic development and offer new perspectives on many aspects of the mature work of the artist. Drawing on extensive archival research, Senf traces the first three decades of Adams' photographic practice, beginning by an amateur album made during his childhood and culminating with his Guggenheim-supported photographs of National Parks from the 1940s. Highlighting the artist's persistence in his career and his remarkable ability to learn from experience in image creation, This beautifully illustrated volume also examines the importance of the artist's environmentalism, particularly his involvement in the Sierra Club.