Matt Blaze's Post

Lange was first and foremost a documentarian who saw herself as an activist. Her most famous work was done for the US Farm Services Administration during the depression (e.g., her iconic "Migrant Mother" portrait). She sought to use photography to expose injustice and improve the world.

Adams, on the other hand, saw himself first and foremost as an artist. He sought to elevate photography as an art form.

(They were close, with deep mutual respect.)