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Analysis Of Ansel Adams: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

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Ansel Adams: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words On February twentieth, in the year 1902, San Francisco, California became the birth place of one of the greatest artists and environmentalists in American history: Ansel Adams. Growing up in a relatively poor family, Adam’s childhood was marked with many difficulties. Despite that fact, his father, “Charles H. Adams,… who in his own youth had been discouraged from following a passionate love of nature and science, was determined that his son would be free to follow his own interests, wherever they might lead” (Turnage 1). One of those passions was music, which later served him in expressing his art. However, another, stronger passion was his love of nature, which stemmed from his childhood that was spent in the sand dunes near the Golden gate and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. His passion for nature and its preservation would follow, propel, and torment Adams until his death in April …show more content…

However, Adams faced criticism and struggled with each noble act he committed. In the simplest terms, Adams was a true conservationist. He wanted to preserve not only the physical land, but its wild, pristine spirit. He feared, as many environmentalists now fear, that the parks would become “’loved to death’ by backpackers and other visitors, through sheer weight of numbers” (Turnage 5). Perhaps, his belief that the parks should be left alone accounts for the reason why he never photographed any people in his scenery, a criticism his works face today. However, Ansel Adams took pictures worthy of the words of such legendary writers as Rachel Carson or Ed Abbey. His art was fundamental to the success and expansion of the environmental movement. As truly heroic deeds are never forgotten, Ansel Adams’ voice, art, mission, and passion will continue to captivate audiences and motivate Americans to protect their environment in every

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