Photographers Archives - Destination4x4

Ansel Easton Adams

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Destination4x4

Ansel Easton Adams was born on February 20, 1902, in San Francisco, California. A hyperactive child with a restless spirit, Adams found solace in nature, particularly during family trips to Yosemite National Park. At age 12, a visit to Yosemite in 1916 sparked a lifelong passion. Given a Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie camera by his parents, Adams began capturing the park’s dramatic landscapes, igniting his journey as a photographer. His early exposure to Yosemite’s granite cliffs, waterfalls, and vast wilderness shaped his artistic vision, blending technical precision with emotional resonance.

Adams was largely self-taught, both in music (his initial pursuit) and photography. By his late teens, he joined the Sierra Club, a conservation organization, which deepened his connection to Yosemite. He worked as a custodian at the Sierra Club’s LeConte Memorial Lodge in Yosemite Valley during the 1920s, honing his craft while immersing himself in the park’s natural splendor. His early photographs, influenced by the Pictorialist style, emphasized soft focus and romanticized landscapes, but he soon sought a sharper, more precise aesthetic.

Development of a Photographic Vision

In the 1930s, Adams co-founded the f/64 group with photographers like Edward Weston and Imogen Cunningham. Named after the smallest camera aperture for maximum sharpness, the group championed “straight photography,” prioritizing crisp detail and tonal range over manipulative techniques. This philosophy crystallized Adams’ approach to capturing Yosemite’s rugged beauty. His iconic images, such as Monolith, The Face of Half Dome (1927), showcased his mastery of light, shadow, and composition, using large-format cameras and meticulous darkroom techniques.

Adams developed the Zone System, a methodical approach to exposure and development that allowed precise control over tonal values. This innovation, detailed in his later technical books, enabled him to translate Yosemite’s dynamic landscapes into prints with unparalleled depth and clarity. His photographs of El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and the Sierra Nevada became defining representations of the American wilderness.

Impact on Yosemite and Conservation

Adams’ work transcended art, becoming a powerful tool for environmental advocacy. His photographs of Yosemite, published in portfolios and books like Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada (1948), brought the park’s majesty to a national audience. These images were instrumental in promoting conservation, reinforcing Yosemite’s status as a national treasure. As a Sierra Club board member, Adams lobbied for the preservation of wild spaces, including the expansion of national parks. His 1938 book, Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, influenced President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress to establish Kings Canyon National Park in 1940, a testament to his impact on conservation policy.

Adams’ images shaped public perception of Yosemite, emphasizing its spiritual and ecological value. His work inspired generations to visit and protect the park, cementing its role as a symbol of America’s commitment to preserving natural landscapes. By capturing Yosemite’s timeless beauty, Adams helped foster a cultural appreciation for wilderness that resonated far beyond California.

Owens Valley, photographed from Sawmill Pass by Ansel Adams, circa 1936.

Photograph of the Hoover Dam (formerly Boulder Dam) from Across the Colorado River; From the series Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, compiled 1941 - 1942, documenting the period ca. 1933 - 1942 — Owens Valley, photographed from Sawmill Pass by Ansel Adams, circa 1936.

Later Years and Legacy

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Adams continued photographing Yosemite while expanding his influence through teaching, writing, and exhibitions. His work gained international acclaim, with exhibitions at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art. In the 1960s and 1970s, as environmentalism grew, Adams’ images became synonymous with the movement, amplifying calls to protect places like Yosemite from development and overuse.

Adams died on April 22, 1984, leaving behind a legacy that endures in photography and conservation. The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley remains a hub for his work, and the park’s Ansel Adams Wilderness Area honors his contributions. His photographs continue to inspire artists, environmentalists, and visitors, ensuring Yosemite’s preservation for future generations.

Conclusion

Ansel Adams’ life was intertwined with Yosemite National Park, from his formative experiences as a young photographer to his role as a conservation advocate. His technical innovations and evocative images elevated landscape photography to an art form, while his activism helped safeguard Yosemite’s natural splendor. Through his lens, Adams not only captured the park’s physical beauty but also its enduring significance as a beacon of environmental stewardship.

Samuel C Mills

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Destination4x4

Samuel C Mills (1833–1911) was a Washington, D.C.-born photographer who documented James H. Simpson’s 1858–1859 expedition across the Great Basin, including White Pine County, Nevada, capturing some of the earliest photographs of the Oregon and California Trails and Native American subjects, before transitioning to a career as a police judge and temperance advocate.

Early Life and Beginnings in Photography (1833–1856)

Samuel C Mills was born on October 8, 1833, in Washington, D.C., to John and Mary Mills. Growing up in the capital, he worked in his father’s shoe factory as a young man, gaining practical experience but showing early interest in the emerging field of photography. In 1856, at age 23, Mills joined the photography studio of Blanchard P. Paige on Pennsylvania Avenue, where he honed his skills in portraiture and wet-plate collodion photography, a complex process requiring glass negatives and immediate development.

Expedition with James H. Simpson (1858–1859)

Mills’ most notable contribution came during his role as expedition photographer for Captain James H. Simpson’s 1858–1859 survey of the Central Route across the Great Basin, including White Pine County, Nevada (as referenced in prior conversation). Hired in March 1858 at $40 per month, with Edward Jagiello as his assistant at $25 per month, Mills was tasked with documenting the expedition’s journey from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to Camp Floyd, Utah, to map a wagon road for military and emigrant use during the Utah War.

The expedition departed on May 31, 1858, after Mills and Jagiello tested their equipment at Fort Leavenworth, producing early views of an artillery battery and three surviving photographs of the fort’s buildings. Simpson instructed Mills to capture “as many prominent scenes as possible,” including Fort Kearney, Court House Rock, Chimney Rock, Fort Laramie, and Ash Hollow, emphasizing topographical and geological features for the expedition’s report. On July 25, 1858, a team member noted Mills photographing Court House Rock, highlighting his active role.

At Camp Floyd, Mills and Jagiello set up a makeshift darkroom, producing paper prints from glass negatives, including views of the sprawling military garrison, then the largest in the U.S. Mills also photographed a Ute delegation led by Chief Arapeen on January 20–21, 1859, capturing a group portrait and a solo image of Arapeen, some of the earliest photographic records of Native Americans in the region. However, Simpson grew frustrated with Mills’ drinking habits, which impaired his duties. After multiple warnings, Simpson dismissed Mills on January 19, 1859, but reinstated him with a stern admonition following Mills’ plea for another chance. Concerns over dwindling photographic chemicals further limited Mills’ output.

The expedition returned to Washington, D.C., in September 1859, with no known photographs from the return journey, suggesting the camera was packed away. The delicate glass negatives were likely delivered to the War Department, though their ultimate fate is unknown. Mills’ employment ended upon the expedition’s conclusion, leaving behind the earliest surviving photographic record of the Oregon and California Trails.

Civil War and Transition to Law (1860–1872)

Returning to Washington, Mills resumed work at Paige’s studio, photographing soldiers as the Civil War began in 1861. In 1864, he enlisted in the Union Army as a hospital steward, serving until the war’s end in 1865. After the war, Mills returned to photography but began studying law, passing the bar in 1872. His legal career soon overshadowed his photographic work, marking a shift from his earlier artistic pursuits.

Later Life and Civic Engagement (1872–1911)

In 1872, Mills was appointed a police judge in Washington, D.C., a position he held for the rest of his career. His experiences with alcohol during the Simpson expedition may have influenced his commitment to temperance, leading him to found the Sons of Jonadab, a temperance organization. Mills was also an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans’ group, and the Masonic Order, reflecting his civic engagement. He died on October 7, 1911, and was buried in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Legacy

Samuel C Mills is best remembered for his 1858–1859 photographs, which provide a rare visual record of the Oregon and California Trails and early Great Basin exploration. His work with Simpson’s expedition, despite challenges with alcohol and limited supplies, captured key landmarks and Native American subjects, contributing to the historical documentation of White Pine County and the broader American West. While his later career in law overshadowed his photography, Mills’ images remain a valuable resource for historians studying 19th-century exploration and frontier life.

Sources

Encyclopedia, Samuel C. Mills, amp.blog.shops-net.com.
Western Mining History, White Pine County, Nevada.
Report of Explorations across the Great Basin in 1859 by James H. Simpson (University of Nevada Press, 1983).

George Benjamin Wittick – Photographer

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Destination4x4

George Benjamin Wittick was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to Illinois, and then out west in 1878 to pursue frontier photography. He served in the Civil War for the union using the name “Benjamin Wallace” in Company A of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry and Company D of the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry, from 1862 to 1865. He first worked for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroads before establishing his first photography studio in Gallup, New Mexico.

During his career, he photographed many subjects to include the railroad; southwestern landscapes such as Canyon de Chelly, the Navajo Reservation, and Pueblo scenes; and the Native peoples mostly the Apache, Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni. Wittik was the first person to photograph the Hopi Snake Dance. An elder warned him at the time that he would die from a snake bite for witnessing the ceremony and not being an initiated member.

His photographs from this event brought the Hopi religious ritual great attention.

George Benjamin Wittick - Self Portrait — George Benjamin Wittick – Self Portrait

He carried with him a collection of props for his photographs to include rifles, pistols, blankets, pottery, and more. Most of his photographs were taken outside using the natural sunlight against backdrops.

Geronimo (Goyathlay, 1820–1909), a Chiricahua Apache; full-length, kneeling with rifle, 1887 - Photograph George Benjamin Wittick — Geronimo (Goyathlay, 1820–1909), a Chiricahua Apache; full-length, kneeling with rifle, 1887 – Photograph George Benjamin Wittick

Billy The Kid

Easily, Wittick’s most famous photograph is of Henry McCarty, AKA Billy the Kidd, in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The image is the only known image of the outlaw to be identified by those who knew him. The image It shows the outlaw dressed in a rumpled hat and ragged clothes, which include a bulky sweater. He’s is holding a Winchester carbine on his right side and a Colt revolver holstered on his left side. Two of these tintypes were produced. One is given to Paulita Maxwell, the kids girlfriend, and the other to friend Dan Dedrick. The last time this original is auctioned, it sold to William Koch for 2.3 million dollars.

It was taken by a traveling photographer who came through Fort Sumner [New Mexico] in 1880. Billy posed for it standing in the street near old Beaver Smith’s saloon. I never liked the picture. I don’t think it does Billy justice. It makes him look rough and uncouth. The expression of his face was really boyish and very pleasant. He may have worn such clothes as appear in the picture out on the range, but in Fort Sumner he was careful of his personal appearance and dressed neatly and in good taste.
Paulita Maxwell Jaramillo, the Kid’s girlfriend – 1920’s

In 1900, he established his last studio at Fort Wingate. In 1903. he decided to return to visit the Hopi Snake Dance. As a gesture of friendship towards the Hopu, he captured a rattlesnake to bring to as a gift. While handling the snake, he is bitten on the thumb on August 8, 1903 and died three weeks later at Fort Wingate, New Mexico, just as the Hopi elder had predicted many years earlier.

References

Camillus Sydney Fly – Tombstone Photographer

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Destination4x4

Camillus Sydney Fly was a photographer and eyewitness to one of the most notorious gunfights in western history. Camillus Sidney Fly was born in Andrew County, Mo., in 1849. Later that same year, Boone and Mary Fly crossed the prairie to Napa County, California with their infant son. On September 29th, 1879 he married Mary “Mollie” Goodrich, a photographer in her own right, and just a few months later, arrived in Tombstone Arizona.

C. S. Fly's Photography Gallery, Tombstone, Arizona — C. S. Fly’s Photography Gallery, Tombstone, Arizona

Historical photo of Ike Clanton in 1881 by photographer Camillus S. Fly, Tombstone, Arizona Territory.

Fly arrived to Tombstone Arizona in December 1879 and established, Fly’s Photography Gallery, on Fremont Street. Like many new arrivals, his first shelter was a tent, which the couple lived in while the photography studio and 12 room boarding house are built at 312 Fremont Street. Fly did some prospecting in the nearby Dragoon Mountains, but relied on the Gallery and boardinghouse next to it for income.

While in Tombstone, Mollie would take indoor portraits of the townspeople, while Buck’s photographic subjects tended towards outdoor photographs of mills, soldiers, ranchers and scenic panoramas. Regardless of photographer almost at almost all of their photographs were credited to C.S. Fly.

Destiny arrived for the Fly’s about 3:00 pm on October 26th, 1881. A long running feud between the Earp’s and McLaury/Clantons lead to the most iconic gunfight in western history, the gunfight at the O. K. Corral. For students of history, the gunfight actually occurred near the O. K. Corral in a vacant lot next to Fly’s Gallery. Ike Clanton famously hide in Fly’s gallery during the gunfight and Mr. Camillus Sydney Fly disarmed a dying Billy Clanton with a Henry Rifle in the aftermath of the fight.

We four started through Fourth to Fremont Street. When we turned the comer of Fourth and Fremont we could see them standing near or about the vacant space between Fly’s photograph gallery and the next building west. I first saw Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, Billy Clanton and Sheriff Behan standing there. We went down the left-hand side of Fremont Street.
Statement of Wyatt S. Earp
in the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp-Holliday Case,
Heard before Judge Wells Spicer – November 16, 1881

Geronimo’s Surrender

Geronimo poses with members of his tribe and General George Crook's staff during peace negotiations on March 27, 1886. - Photograph by C.S. Fly — Geronimo poses with members of his tribe and General George Crook’s staff during peace negotiations on March 27, 1886. – Photograph by C.S. Fly

In March, 1886, General George Cook is notified that the Apache Leader Geronimo agreed to meet. The meeting is arranged at Cañon de los Embudos about eighty six miles from Fort Bowie. Fly learned of this meeting and quickly attached himself to the military column. During the negotiations with Geronimo, C. S. Fly took about fifteen exposures on 8 x 10 inch glass plates. After three days of negotiations, Geronimo agreed to terms of surrender and returned to his camp across the Mexican border.

That night, while in his camp, a U. S. solder who supplied the Apache camp with whiskey, bragged that Geronimo and his followers would be attacked and killed as soon as they crossed the U. S. border. Geronimo and his thirty nine follows left camp that night. The U. S. army pursed Geronimo and his band until September 4, 1886 when, exhausted they surrendered.

Later in life…

In 1887 Fly traveled to Mexico to photograph the aftereffects of an earthquake in Bavispe. The same year, he toured the Arizona Territory to exhibit his photographic works of the area. He and his wife moved to Phoenix in 1893, where they opened another studio. The Flys returned to Tombstone after a year in Phoenix, and in 1895 C.S. Fly was elected to a two-year term as a Cochise County Sheriff.

C. S. Fly's Photography Gallery, Tombstone, Arizona on fire 1912, Photograph by Mary "Mollie" Fly — C. S. Fly’s Photography Gallery, Tombstone, Arizona on fire 1912, Photograph by Mary “Mollie” Fly

When his term as a sheriff expired, Fly retired to his ranch in the Chiricahua Mountains, where he spent his remaining days. He died in Bisbee on October 12, 1901, at the age of 51. His remains were interred at the Tombstone Cemetery.

In 1912, his photography studio burns in Tombstone, Arizona. Ever the professional, Mollie documents the destruction of a warehouse of lost western photographic history, with a dramatic photograph.

References

Timothy H. O’Sullivan – Photographer

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Destination4x4

CDV of Timothy H. O'Sullivan with imprint of F.G. Ludlow, Carson City, Nevada Territory on verso. Taken between 1871–74 while O'Sullivan was the official photographer for the Wheeler Expedition. — CDV of Timothy H. O’Sullivan with imprint of F.G. Ludlow, Carson City, Nevada Territory on verso. Taken between 1871–74 while O’Sullivan was the official photographer for the Wheeler Expedition.

Timothy H. O’Sullivan (c. 1840 – January 14, 1882) was a photographer best known for of the Civil War and the western United States. O’Sullivan began his photography career as an apprentice in Mathew Brady’s Fulton Street gallery in New York City. He moved on to the Washington, D.C., branch managed by Alexander Gardner. In 1861. At the age of twenty-one, O’Sullivan joined Brady’s team of Civil War photographers.

Little is known about his early life. He was either born in Ireland or New Work City. As a teenager, Timothy was employed by Matthew Brady where he learn the newly invented craft of photography. When the Civil War broke out, he is commission as a first lieutenant in the Union Army, in 1861.

After the was, in 1867, Timothy H. O’Sullivan is hired by Clarence King to accompany the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel as a photographer. O’Sullivan was with the Survey for the seasons of 1867, 1868, 1869 and 1872.

During these expeditions, he is known to carry two or possibly three camera outfits which include a 9″x12″ and 8″x1O” plates and for stereoscopic views. He developed the plates in the field, as was necessary with the wet plate process, and worked in either a photographic tent or a mule-drawn ambulance wagon. The negatives were usually sent back to the Survey offices in Washington D.C. where they are printed.

In 1871, O’Sullivan join the geological surveys west of the one hundredth meridian, under the command of Lieutenant George M. Wheeler of the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Wheeler would caption O’Sullivan’s photographs with practical information useful in the later establishment of roads and rail routes and emphasized the west’s suitability for settlement.

In 1873, on another Wheeler expedition, O’Sullivan photographed the Zuni and Magia pueblos and the Canyon de Chelly and its remnants of a cliff-dwelling culture. He returned to Washington, D.C., in 1874 and made prints for the Army Corps of Engineers. Soon after being made chief photographer for the United States Treasury in 1880, O’Sullivan died of tuberculosis at age forty-one.

Sand dunes, 1867, Carson Desert Western Nevada RG 77 Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, 1789-1988 Photographic Album of the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel – The King Survey, 1867-1872 ARC ID 519530 77KS-3-160

Timothy H. O’Sullivan Portfolio

Desert Lake, near Ragtown, Western Nevada, ca. 1867 by Timothy H. O'Sullivan — Desert Lake, near Ragtown, Western Nevada, ca. 1867 by Timothy H. O’Sullivan

Kearsarge Mining Company's gold mine at Kearsarge, Kearsarge Mining District — in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, Inyo County, eastern California (1871). - Photo by Timothy H. O'Sullivan — Desert Lake, near Ragtown, Western Nevada, ca. 1867 by Timothy H. O’Sullivan

Gold Hill, Nevada Circa 1867, 1868 Photographer Timothy H. O'Sullivan — Gold Hill, Nevada Circa 1867, 1868 Photographer Timothy H. O’Sullivan

References

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Development of a Photographic Vision

Impact on Yosemite and Conservation

Later Years and Legacy

Conclusion

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Early Life and Beginnings in Photography (1833–1856)

Expedition with James H. Simpson (1858–1859)

Civil War and Transition to Law (1860–1872)

Later Life and Civic Engagement (1872–1911)

Legacy

Sources

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Billy The Kid

References

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Geronimo’s Surrender

Later in life…

References

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Timothy H. O’Sullivan Portfolio

References

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