Adams took this photograph on a rainy spring day in Yosemite National Park. In his book "Examples: The Making of Forty Photographs," Adams admitted that he nearly gave up when it started to rain that day. But walking along Tenaya Creek back to his car, he caught sight of this scene. The white dogwood is illuminated against the darker trees and reflects the sunlight that has broken through the overcast sky. Though best known for his sprawling landscapes, Adams also frequently aimed his lens more closely at the vegetation that he encountered with equally powerful effects, as is evident in this print.

Ansel Adams (American, 1902–1984) was a photographer best known for his picturesque photographs of Yosemite National Park. Adams began taking pictures at a young age in 1916. He made a living teaching piano lessons until 1930, and his position as a custodian in Yosemite National Park from 1920 until 1927 enabled Adams to photograph the striking landscape during expeditions. In 1927, he published his first portfolio of work, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras, and in 1930 released his first illustrated book, Taos pueblo. Adams’ photographs were featured in a 1936 exhibition at Alfred Stieglitz’s gallery, An American Place, and in 1940, he contributed to the establishment of the Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Photography and co-curated the inaugural exhibit. Among his other achievements, Adams formed the Department of Photography at the California School of Fine Arts (currently the San Francisco Art Institute), and was among the founders of the Friends of Photogaphy in 1966.