born Feb. 20, 1902, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.
died April 22, 1984, Carmel, Calif.
U.S. photographer.
In 1927 he published Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras , photographs that imitated Impressionist painting by suppressing detail in favour of soft, misty effects achieved in the darkroom. Adams was known for his dramatic images of mountain landscapes. He became one of the outstanding technicians in the history of photography; Making a Photograph (1935) was the first of his many books on photographic technique. He worked consistently to foster public awareness of photography as a fine art. In 1940 he helped organize the first public collection of photographs, at the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1946 he established, at the California School of Fine Arts, the first academic photography department.