Robert Adams (b. 1937, Orange, NJ) is a decorated photographer who photographs the human impact on the environment of the American West. He is known for his black and white, matter of fact presentation of natural landscapes and urban sprawl. His work is influenced by his upbringing in Denver, where his family frequented the national parks of Colorado and the Denver Art Museum. Adams attended University of Redlands in 1956 and University of Southern California, where he received his PhD in English literature in 1965. His break into photography was when he began working with Myron Wood, a photographer known for his fine art landscapes of the Southwest, and began working professionally in 1970. Wood’s influence is unmistakable in subject matter and their penchant for the medium format camera, the two taking many road trips together. However, Adams’s style is defined by his signature sharp focus, structure, and high contrast.