Making a Photographer

An unprecedented and eye-opening examination of the early career of one of Americas most celebrated photographers One of the most influential photographers of his generation, Ansel Adams (19021984) is famous for his dramatic photographs of the American West. Although many of Adamss images are now iconic, his early work has remained largely unknown. In this first monograph dedicated to the beginnings of Adamss career, Rebecca A. Senf argues that these early photographs are crucial to understanding Adamss artistic development and offer new insights into many aspects of the artists mature oeuvre. Drawing on copious archival research, Senf traces the first three decades of Adamss photographic practicebeginning with an amateur album made during his childhood and culminating with his Guggenheim-supported National Parks photography of the 1940s. Highlighting the artists persistence in forging a career path and his remarkable ability to learn from experience as he sharpened his image-making skills, this beautifully illustrated volume also looks at the significance of the artists environmentalism, including his involvement with the Sierra Club. Published in association with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona