John Sexton, A Student of Ansel Adams
Photography has always been a blend of art and craft and Ansel Adams has long embodied a good mixture of the two. One of his former assistants and an accomplished photographer John Sexton shares his thoughts on photography with anecdotes sprinkled in his narrative from his years of working with Ansel Adams.
There are good, very good pieces of advice in this four-part video presentation. Much of his talk relates to the wet darkroom. But, the ideas he imparts are valuable in the digital world as well. Your job is to extract them and see how well you can make them happen in 2016. Remember, print is the thing! The real thing!
If you want to learn more about John Sexton and his work, point your browser to his Web site.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Iyi Seneler, …
Haluk Atamal
Quite nice minutes spent early in the morning gives me the inspiration that it will be another great day today. Thanks Cemal.
I do not quite believe it is possible to understand the gentleman fully unless you have already sniffed the acrid air of the darkroom and developed your prints yourself. It is a unique experience, as we all know, which is in danger of passing away. We will see how classical printing will survive in the digital age.
I am having my prints from my digital work made in a professional shop in Istanbul and then cargoed to Antalya. I admire watching them but have no control on how they are printed. Neither probably the gentleman in Istanbul, who can pull all the stops but has not taken the picture himself.
A. Cemal Ekin
Yes Haluk, darkroom air is unmistakable, I have friends who still do it with the same enjoyment. But his points like the viewer “should not see the craft” is something I have been trumpeting for quite some time, “tools and techniques should serve the vision and be invisible.”
Cemal
Haluk Atamal
After writing my comment, I dashed to your very useful right top corner to download the catalogue to know more about Nickolas MURAY, only to find out that my smart screen filter does not allow it. I am sure it is safe since you mention about it. I could not find a way around.
Best regards from Antalya!
A. Cemal Ekin
Haluk, that link was direct from the museum. Sometimes Kaspersky or similar antivirus programs can be over protective. I put a second link direct from this site, try that.
Take care,
Cemal
Mike Di Stefano
John Sexton certainly has Photography in his blood. as the old saying goes, “eat, drink, and sleep” photography. It’s been a while since I worked in my DarkRoom, and these videos are just the kick in the butt I need to get back into the swing or should I say “soup”.
Thanks for passing along these video clips, they were educational, enlightening, historical accounts and a close look at what the approach to photography should be. The power of a fine print is lost in today’s instant access, reproduction, and web-posting that we should take a step back and slow down.
A. Cemal Ekin
Mike, print is it! Also, the craft should not be visible, touching a print, feeling a print, are the ideas I too share with him and keep repeating. Get in there, sniff some Dektol!
Cemal
Mike Dooley
Thanks for sharing these Cemal, I am really enjoying them. I really connected with Johns talk of the early morning and late evening light, that quiet light is some of my very favorite.
I have never developed film, not have I ever shot black and white. Some days I feel like I have missed out on something special. Maybe one day when timing and funds allow I will get that chance.
For some reason the idea of using a 16×20 view camera and hand crafting a print sounds wonderful Like I would somehow be more connected to my images.
Mike
A. Cemal Ekin
I am glad you are enjoying the post Mike, there is more in the works. As you listen to, read about photography and photographers, and look at works you may not have seen you will find that you connect better with your own work.
Cemal