Edward Weston was born in Illinois in 1886 and began taking photographs at the age of only 15. Something very interesting about this photographer is that he taught himself. He focused on the truth of materials and everyday subjects. For example a lot of his photographs are close ups of vegetables and fruits that focus on the detail and the odd shapes of them. His most famous photos were the ones he took that were very sharp. This type of photography in which he focused on is called "straight" photography.
http://www.phillipscollection.org/research/american_art/bios/weston_e-bio.htm
http://www.phillipscollection.org/research/american_art/bios/weston_e-bio.htm