Standing on the step at the entrance of a dwelling, left to right: Louise Tami Nakamura, holding the hand of Mrs. Naguchi, and Joyce Yuki Nakamura. Ansel Easton Adams (1902 – 1984) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West. During part of his career, he was hired by the US Government to record life in the West.