Shelby Lee Adams (born October 24, 1950)[1] is an American environmental portrait photographer and artist best known for his images of Appalachian family life.

Adams has photographed Appalachian families since the mid-1970s.

[2] He had first encountered the poor families of the Appalachian Mountains as a child, travelling around the area with his uncle, who was a doctor.

Adams was the subject of a documentary film by Jennifer Baichwal in 2002 - The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams's Appalachia.

[4][5] The film critiques and defends Adams' method in photographing Appalachian people for his previously published books.