John Sexton

I will be attending a workshop with John Sexton in California next week, so I thought I would explore some of his photography on the blog before I leave. John Sexton was Ansel Adams' assistant from 1979 to when Ansel died in 1984. Due to this influence, Sexton is known for his spectacular printing techniques and use of the zone system. He works in large format and often photographs landscapes -- both natural landscapes and industrial and architectural landscapes. What really strikes me about his work is the technical expertise and the beauty of his prints. It's hard to share on a computer, but his prints look almost 3-D when you view them in real life -- they really pop! He has sharp detail in all his work, and always has detail even in the dark areas. The rich blacks and the sharp silvery highlights lend crispness and beauty to his work. He is also excellent at evoking a mood in his photographs. The way that he prints can give the photographs an ethereal quality, a feeling of isolation, or a sense of awe. Sexton finds many luminous subjects, whether man made or natural, but somehow there is always a connection or a reflection of the natural world even in those man made subjects. 

-Meg