Ansel Adams was one of the most famous photographers of his time. He was born in 1902 in San Francisco, California. Growing up, Adams was nervous and shy. He did not perform well in school due to his behavioral problems and an earthquake that left him with a crooked nose, making him self-conscious. As a result, he was homeschooled by family members and tutors from the age of twelve. It is important to note that Adams' unique and solitary childhood led him to develop a relationship with nature early on, often going on long walks or hikes in the San Francisco area. Adams developed a passion for the piano early on, teaching himself and eventually finding a teacher who strictly demanded excellence, giving Adams direction and discipline that would later shape his career as a photographer. At fourteen, Adams' family visited Yosemite and he used a camera he received as a gift to capture the incredible views he witnessed. This would later be recognized as the beginning of his lifelong love of photography and nature combined. In 1917, Ansel Adams made his second trip to Yosemite. He arrived better equipped, with better equipment and cameras, and took a part-time job as a darkroom assistant, learning to develop photos and print film. Adams' experiences in Yosemite were instrumental in shaping his career and life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essayIn 1919, Adams joined the Sierra Club, an environmental organization founded by John Muir, an influential naturalist and conservationist. Adams took a job as a caretaker at the Sierra Club LeConte Lodge in Yosemite and his stay during this period allowed him to expand his career as a photographer and conservationist. His residence in Yosemite also brought him into contact with many important people of his time, including Joseph LeConte, a prominent conservation scientist. The Sierra Club has been essential to Adams' success. According to William Turnage and the Oxford University Press, 1922 was the first year that Adams' photographs appeared in the club newsletter, truly allowing his career to take off. By 1934, Adams had been elected to the board and “was well established as both a Sierra Nevada artist and Yosemite advocate” (William Turnage, 2016). Yosemite was a very important part of Adams' life: he even met his wife there and they were married in 1928. Ansel Adams used his photography to influence politics. In 1936, Adams represented the Sierra Club at a parks conference in Washington. The club chose him to present a proposal for a park in the Kings River Sierra because they believed his photographs would have a great influence on those who made the decision. The Sierra Club was smart in choosing Adams to represent them, as photography had played a key role in the creation of other popular parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. After presenting his proposal, Adams received an invitation from the Secretary of the Interior to create a photo mural of his landscapes to reside in the new Department of the Interior building. It was indeed a great honor, but the park's proposal had not yet been accepted, so Adams continued his efforts. In 1938, he published a book, Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, which ended up being highly praised by respected artists and photographers. This book may have been the reason the National Park Service reexamined theAdams' Sierra Nevada portfolio and wrote to him: "Recently we forwarded to Secretary Ickes the free copy of your new Sierra Nevada portfolio that you sent to the National Park Service. . Yesterday the secretary took it to the White House and showed it to the president, who was so impressed with it that the secretary gave it to him. In subsequent discussion, Secretary Ickes expressed his strong desire to also have a copy for his use” (Robert Turnage, 1980). Shortly thereafter, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes wrote to Adams, saying: "My dear Mr. Adams: I am enthusiastic about the book – The John Muir Trail – that you have been generous enough to provide me with. send. The images are extraordinarily beautiful and impressive. I hope that before this session of Congress adjourns, John Muir National Park in the Kings Canyon area will be a legal fact. We can then be sure that your descendants and mine will be able to take photos as beautiful as you, provided they have your talent and artistry” (Robert Turnage, 1980). It is truly remarkable that Adams' photos were able to speak on such a level that they had an impact on the decision to make the park a reality. Finally, in 1940, Kings Canyon became a national park. Adams received a message from the National Park Service stating that his book, Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, was the most influential work in the creation of the park. Arno Cammerer, director of the National Park Service, wrote: “As long as this book exists, it will continue to justify the park” (Robert Turnage, 1980). This truly demonstrates how important Adams' works were in the political realm. Adams continued to be involved in government, beginning his photomural project for the Home Office in 1941. He eventually had to interrupt his work due to World War II. During this period he worked as a 'photographic consultant' to the armed forces and also worked for the Office of War Information. He visited the Manzanar War Relocation Center and documented the presence of Japanese Americans in the camp, “paving the way for civil rights” (Wilderness.net, 2006). In 1968, Adams received the Conservation Service Award from the Department of the Interior and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1979. In 1980, President Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a citizen can receive. For all his political influence, Adams was also inducted into the California Hall of Fame by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver in 2007. Every photograph Adams took had meaning, but some works stand out as the most influential. . Among these works is a very famous photograph entitled “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome” (see Appendix A). This photograph was part of Adams' first comprehensive portfolio, published in 1927. It was considered his "first fully visualized photograph" (William Turnage, 2016) and for the rest of his career, Adams would be recognized for this stellar image. The photo captures a sight that the general public probably wouldn't have been able to easily see. Adams had to climb four thousand feet through a significant amount of snow to reach a granite outcropping. From there, he set up his camera and waited for the light to fall on the cliff, finally capturing the iconic photo. The image allows the audience to see what was so important to Adams for so many years. By exposing citizens to these images, Adams is able to make them understand the importance of national parks. Even if the conceptWhile sustainability is relatively new, as an environmentalist, Adams had many of the same ideas in mind when photographing parks such as Yosemite. “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome” is a stunning depiction of a photograph that introduces the public to nature and shows them that it needs to be preserved. Another notable work by Ansel Adams is his photograph entitled “Clearing Winter Storm” (see Appendix B). . Taken in Yosemite National Park in 1940, this photograph clearly demonstrates Adams' intimate relationship with photography and Yosemite. He knew the park so well that he always knew where to go to capture the perfect moments, and his passion for nature always shines through in his photographs. This forced anyone watching to feel an interest in the environment like he did. By eloquently capturing the view of Yosemite Valley in this photograph, Adams was able to depict the importance of preservation. Environmentally, Adams' main issues were Yosemite National Park, the national park system, and wilderness preservation (William Turnage, 2016). He particularly resisted attempts by the National Park Service to overdevelop parks, insisting that nature should remain in its most natural form. “Clearing Winter Storm” presents its ideal image for all parks. The photo is so raw, clearly demonstrating that the environment must remain forever. Adams' images are all about inspiration. They inspire the public to care about the world they live in. A particularly inspiring photograph by Ansel Adams from 1944 stunningly depicts California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. He titled the image “Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine” (see Appendix C). This photograph, showing the extent of the mountain range, is a great motivation for the public. They see this great encapsulation of the mountains and realize that the land is precious and precious. It is wild, beautiful and awe-inspiring and thanks to Ansel Adams, every American is now aware of the vast characteristics that make America unique. This photo is also widely praised for the technique used. Adams always carefully examined every element of his photos, making sure the light was perfect and the situation was perfect for a photo. “The varying composition of light and darkness remains as a mystical and enchanting image of wild nature. Adams uses his visualization techniques to create a rich and powerful landscape scene that inspires the viewer to share the beauty of nature” (Kaela Nurmi, 2014). Adams' impeccable technique adds to the effectiveness of the message conveyed through his photos and, as a result, he is largely successful in motivating the American people to care about the wilderness around them. Ansel Adams was not alone in his powerful desire. to preserve what remained of America's wilderness and natural beauty. Rachel Carson, born five years after Adams, had very similar values ​​and views to Adams. Carson, a well-known author, published a book called Silent Spring in 1962. Carson's ideas in his book focused on the harmful use of chemicals and pesticides, a concept that was not widely accepted at the time. era. She even wrote to Reader's Digest to suggest publishing an article documenting a series of tests on DDT, but the magazine rejected her proposal (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2015). Thirteen years later, Carson tried again to raise public interest in the harmful effects of DDT, but his proposal was again rejected. Carson decided to take control of the subject and began writingSilent Spring, which encompassed the effects of chemicals (particularly DDT) on nature and the planet. She received backlash from the chemical industries and general panic from the public, as these issues had not yet been brought to light and this was the first time they were being considered. Ultimately, Carson was recognized and praised for her dedication to bringing these environmental issues to the public. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980, the same year as Ansel Adams. Like Ansel Adams, Rachel Carson enlightened the public with new information about the environment and the future. On page ten of Silent Spring, Carson states, “Nature has introduced great variety into the landscape, but man has demonstrated a passion for simplifying it. Thus it undoes the built-in checks and balances by which nature keeps the species within its limits” (Silent Spring, 1962, 10). Carson essentially asserts that humans have become accustomed to undoing nature's natural mechanisms and interfering with natural processes. Adams shared this opinion, as he worked tirelessly to convey the importance of preserving our natural world through his incredibly influential photographs. Adams was particularly adamant about excessive park development. He has often emphasized the concept of the "spiritual and emotional aspects of parks and wilderness areas" (Digital Public Library of America, 2016) and has frequently expressed negativity toward excessive tourism and overdevelopment of parks. Adams knew that too much human activity in such natural places would disrupt the ideal balance between humans and nature. Rachel Carson felt the same way, declaring: "The most alarming of all man's assaults on the environment is the contamination of the air, land, rivers and sea with dangerous and even deadly materials." » (Silent Spring, 1962, 6). It is evident that Carson and Adams were deeply committed to preserving the natural beauty of the world and both dedicated their lives to expressing their opinions through their craft. Besides Rachel Carson, Adams' views were shared by Aldo Leopold, an American. author, scientist, ecologist, conservationist and environmentalist. Aldo Leopold was born in 1887, fifteen years before Adams, and was “considered by many to be the father of wildlife management and the United States wilderness system” (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016). An advanced writer and scholar, Leopold developed the idea for a publicly-appealing book dealing with "humanity's relationship with the natural world" (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016), and in 1949, A Sand County Almanac by Leopold was published. A Sand County Almanac provides complex explanations and observations of the different types of plants and animals that Leopold found on the farm he was attempting to restore to its natural state (Richard Pierre, 2016). A Sand County Almanac is considered "one of the most respected environmental books ever published" (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016), earning Leopold recognition as "the most respected conservation thinker influential of the 20th century” (Aldo Leopold Foundation). , 2016). A Sand County Almanac introduces Leopold's idea of ​​the "land ethic" – an idea that human beings should begin to be more responsible and aware of the biotic community. Ethics deals with what is right and wrong, and ground ethics applies the idea of ​​morality to our environment around us. Aldo Leopold's central theme is found in this excerpt from A Sand County Almanac: "A thing is good when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the community..