Ansel Adams was born in San Francisco (1902-1984) four years before the great earthquake. He gained an appreciation for nature when he was playing in the sand dunes beyond the Golden Gate Bridge and later uses this as his photo inspiration. In 1916 he visited Yosemite National Park for the first time and he was transfixed by the beauty of the valley. In 1919 he was 17 years old, he was first introduced to the Sierra Club when he took the job as a custodian in Yosemite National Park. His interest in taking photos only grew and he sometimes went up to the mountains by mule with photo gear and supplies. His role in the club grew rapidly and the club became a critical role in his photography career. He also got involved into the park politically