Ansel Easton Adams was born in San Francisco, California, marking the beginning of a life that would be deeply intertwined with photography and environmentalism.

At the age of 14, Adams visited Yosemite National Park for the first time, where he was given his first camera. This trip ignited his lifelong love for Yosemite and photography.

Adams began working with Albert M. Bender, producing his first portfolio, "Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras", which included his famous image "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome". This portfolio was a significant success and marked a new style in his photography.

Adams, along with photographers such as Edward Weston and Imogen Cunningham, founded Group f/64, an association advocating 'pure' photography that emphasized sharp focus and the use of the full tonal range of a photograph.

Adams and Fred Archer developed the Zone System, a method of achieving precise control over exposure and development to optimize image quality and tonal range. This system became a cornerstone of Adams' photographic technique.

Adams was invited by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes to photograph national parks and create large-scale mural prints. Although the project was halted due to World War II, Adams continued his work on national parks through a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1946 and 1948.

Adams' photograph "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico" was first published in the "U.S. Camera 1943" annual. This image became one of his most famous and was re-interpreted over 1,369 times using various darkroom techniques.

Adams gave a prescient speech to the DNC Platform Committee, highlighting the critical importance of environmental conservation and the need to protect the planet. This speech reflected his lifelong commitment to environmental activism.

Adams' environmental advocacy was part of the broader movement that led to the first Earth Day celebrations in 1970, where 20 million Americans participated in coast-to-coast rallies to support environmental conservation.

Adams co-founded the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, which became a cornerstone for fine art and archival collections of photography. His archive remains a significant part of the center's holdings.

Adams was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to photography and environmental conservation, recognizing his lifelong dedication to both fields.

Ansel Adams passed away, leaving behind a legacy of stunning photographs, a revolutionary approach to photography through the Zone System, and a profound impact on environmental conservation.