Harry Adams (photographer)

Harry Adams (born 1932, died 2012) was an American photographer known for his black and white images of the American West, particularly focusing on the changing landscape due to human intervention. Although bearing the same name as the renowned Ansel Adams, the two photographers were unrelated. Harry Adams' work often depicted the impact of industrial development, suburban sprawl, and water management on the natural environment.

Adams initially trained as a painter before turning to photography in the late 1960s. His photography is characterized by its stark, often bleak aesthetic, emphasizing the contrast between the natural world and human-made structures. He primarily used large-format cameras, enabling him to capture highly detailed and sharply focused images.

Throughout his career, Adams received numerous awards and fellowships, and his photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States. His work is held in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He is often associated with the New Topographics movement, which sought to document the altered landscape in a detached and objective manner. He is considered a significant figure in contemporary landscape photography.