Note Type
Historical NoteNote
One of the best-known names of American photography, Ansel Adams was both a photographer and environmentalist. He enjoyed spending time in Yosemite, and it was here that his passion and talent coalesced. Adams published his first photographs in the Sierra Club's Bulletin in 1922, and he maintained a strong presence in their organization throughout his life.
Despite his rising career and reputations, Adams struggled financially. Like other professional photographers, he supplemented his livelihood with commissions, many of which featured subjects far removed from his dramatic views of the Western wilderness. In 1962, Adams accepted a commission to photograph the rolling hills and open pastures just outside of Sacramento, producing descriptive images of foothill granite outcroppings and the branching of California oaks in grassy fields. "Oak Tree, Sunset City" is one of these photographs.