Shelby Lee Adams

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Shelby Lee Adams (born 1950) is an American environmental portrait photographer and artist best known for his images of Appalachian family life.

He has struck up controversy among some who say his images are reinforcing stereotypes. A documentary film called The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia follows his photographic trips into Appalachia. His work has been published in three monographs: Appalachian Portraits (1993), Appalachian Legacy (1998), and Appalachian Lives (2003).

His work is in the following permanent collections (not a complete list): Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; International Center of Photography, New York, NY; Musee De L'Elysee Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Time Life Collection, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY