As a passionate environmentalist, Adams hoped viewers of his photographs would be so impressed by the magnificence of nature that they would be compelled to explore and preserve it. From marketer to artistĪt the end of 1937, Adams left the Yosemite Park and Curry Company to focus on his fine art photography. He wrote captions to accompany his images, worked on store window displays that promoted Yosemite and consulted on the design of souvenirs that featured his pictures. Particularly effective ones showed people participating in the Yosemite Park and Curry Company’s tourist activities with the park’s dazzling scenery as a backdrop.ĭuring his time with the Yosemite Park and Curry Company, Adams was also involved in the marketing process beyond just making photographs. The resulting images could also be easily reproduced in a newspaper, magazine or glossy brochure. In Adams’ photographs, the action taking place is easy to understand, the setting spectacular and the composition simple and focused, with few distractions.

These pictures appeared in brochures and newspaper articles, on postcards and menus, and in a deluxe souvenir book called “The Four Seasons in Yosemite National Park.” The job had many benefits for the photographer: a good income, the challenge of attracting more visitors to his beloved Yosemite and the opportunity to practice making pictures.Īs with all forms of advertising, the goal was persuasion. He also photographed the park’s distinctive vistas. Author providedĪdams ended up photographing a wide range of vacation pastimes, including sleigh riding, dog sledding, horseback riding, fishing, golfing and back-country camping. The company wanted Adams to publish bold, captivating photographs to lure more tourists to Yosemite, and its marketing department coached Adams about the most effective approach to making photographs.įor instance, in a letter, the head of the Yosemite Park and Curry Company instructed Adams that, when taking a winter photograph, he should only shoot trees and houses “heavily ladened with freshly fallen snow.” Likewise, Adams was told to take photographs of only the best-dressed ice skaters using the valley’s ice rink.Īdams often featured the park’s spectacular scenery as a backdrop. Then, in 1929, Adams took a job that would prove to have an unexpected and meaningful impact on his life as an artist: He was hired to be a photographer for the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. They included taking portraits, photographing homes and buildings for architects and interior designers, and taking promotional photographs for businesses like wineries and banks. So Adams sought out commercial jobs that would give him an opportunity to work as a photographer. Inspired by his time spent in the wilderness, Adams eventually realized he wanted to be a photographer.

Ansel adams tree