Ansel Adams was tremendously influential. He brought a rigor (rather a puritanical one) to photographic exposure, developing, and print making that led to an expectation of high quality prints and reproductions from others. This was clearly elucidated in his five books of the Basic Photo Series. He combined a keen eye for pulling exquisite compositions from the chaos of nature with a passion for the environment. And he taught numerous workshops and campaigned for the acceptance of photography as a legitimate art form. He is probably the best know (whose work is most easily recognized) of all American photographers.
What photographic rigor I have came from reading his books and examining his prints. If I went to an Adams exhibit, my darkroom work improved immediately from the sheer inspiration of his prints. However as I developed my own approach and values in visual media, I found his subject matter thin and self-congratulatory.
