Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange both used their photography to document the lives of Japanese Americans living in internment camps during World War II. Adams' photographs focus on the landscape of the camps, the barrenness of the desert, and the conditions of the people living in the camps. Lange, on the other hand, focused more on the human aspect of the internment camp experience. Her photographs capture the despair and hopelessness of the people living in the camps, and her images reflect the emotional toll of living in such conditions.
In contrast, Toyo Miyatake was the only Japanese American photographer allowed to document the internment camps. His photographs focused on the humanity of the situation, rather than simply the physical conditions. He captured the everyday moments of life in the camps, showing people going about their daily routines and attempting to create a semblance of normalcy in a time of turmoil. Additionally, his photographs show the resilience of the people, as well as their determination to continue on in the face of adversity.