9781422276433

A nsel A dams

soughing of the tree branches, the wind across the expanses of rock, and the settling of the snow cover in the sunlight. The stillness of eternity is captured in the fraction of a second it took to snap the cam- era’s shutter. During his summers at Yosemite, Adams made the acquaintance of Harry Best, owner of Best’s Photography Studio, one of the handful of private businesses in the park. One plus at Best’s was a piano for Ansel to practice on. Another attraction was Harry’s beautiful young daughter, Virginia, who

shared Ansel’s enthusiasm for the outdoors and accompanied him on his photographic treks through the park. Ansel courted her for six years, and they were mar- ried on a snowy January 2, 1928, at her father’s stu- dio. The bride wore black because she didn’t have time to buy a wedding dress, and Ansel wore knick- ers with basketball shoes. Wedding photos discreet- ly show him only from the knees up. A son, Michael, was born in 1932, and their daughter, Anne, arrived two years later.

10