Ansel Adams Ansel Adams was born in 1902. In 1916 his dad gave him his first camera. It was a Kodak Brownie Box camera. He produced his first portfolio in 1927. Ansel Adams helped found the magazine Aperture. Adams didn’t just take photos in black and white he experimented with color too. Ansel Adams died in 1984 of cardiovascular disease. Ansel Adams left a very big impact in the photography world. Adams helped develop The Zone System. A way to determine the proper exposure and adjust the contrast of the final print. I chose him because I knew he took photos outside and of nature. I like taking pictures outside.