REFLECTIONS ON TEACHING MY FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
A special mini eNewsletter from John Sexton. If you are having trouble reading this email, please visit our html version online. If
the links listed below do not
function properly in your email
program,
Dear Friend, Welcome to this special mini edition of my eNewsletter—commemorating 50 years since I taught my first workshop. It's hard to believe that half a century has passed! While this installment reflects on the past, I find it difficult to dwell on nostalgia given the current state of our fragile democracy here in my beloved USA. Anne and I deeply value the rights and freedoms of all Americans, and as photographers and artists, we are particularly concerned about our future ability to freely express our ideas, concepts, and artistic vision—freedoms that are fundamental to our Constitution. I'd like to share an excerpt from a 1954 letter written by the esteemed photographic historian Beaumont Newhall to his dear friend Ansel Adams:
Beaumont's words from more than fifty years ago seem to be perhaps even more relevant today. I urge each of my readers to take action in advocating for the preservation of our free and democratic Republic—one that upholds liberty, equity, and the protection of all people, other living creatures, and our fragile planet.. Don't try to do everything, but please be sure to do SOMETHING!
Saturday, February 15, 1975–exactly fifty years ago–my friend and fellow Cypress College photography major, John Charles Woods, and I taught our first photography workshop. Below, I've included a scan of the original flyer for that workshop. Looking at the announcement now, I'm reminded of the effort that went into creating it. I carefully typed the text, going through multiple drafts until I got it kind of just right. I also painstakingly applied each Letraset press-type letter for the title and date. The three-day workshop took advantage of the Presidents' Day weekend, and with a tuition of just twenty bucks, it felt like a real moneymaker for Woods and me—we joked that it was practically like printing money! That fee even included a follow-up print critique session the following month. Our classmate, Jim Trochowski, joined us as an assistant instructor, making it a true team effort.
The flyer mentions that enrollment was limited, and we ended up with nine participants—more than we had anticipated! But, in reality, the "maximum" number was probably just however many people applied. All nine attendees were fellow photography students at Cypress. Woods and I had attended Ansel Adams' 1973 Yosemite workshop, and we returned inspired, eager to share what we had learned with our peers. Perhaps we were a little too enthusiastic, as one of our instructors, Marshall LaCour, eventually asked us to stop discussing the Zone System in class. His approach relied on an incident light meter, which worked beautifully in the studio, while the Zone System was based on a reflected light meter. Concerned that we might confuse his students, he asked us to keep our discussions elsewhere. We weren't happy about it, but thankfully, another instructor, David F. Drake, wholeheartedly supported the exchange of ideas. His encouragement, along with the interest from our classmates, led us to offer the workshop. You might notice that the workshop was hosted by the Monterey Center for Photographic Studies—an organization you've likely never heard of. That's because it never truly existed! It was a somewhat naive, aspirational idea that Woods and I dreamed up while living in Southern California, hoping it might someday become a reality. In the end, this workshop was its only offering. Evidently, I appointed myself Associate Director of the center, though there was no actual director or other staff that I could associate with! However, both Woods and I ultimately fulfilled our dreams of moving to the Monterey Peninsula. He relocated about a year later, and in 1979, I followed when Ansel unexpected invited me to move to the area and work for him as his Technical and Photographic Assistant. We planned the workshop carefully, mapping out an intense schedule. Each day started with a 6:00 AM sunrise session and wrapped up late at night with discussions around the campfire. Reviewing the printed schedule now, I noticed something unique—this was the first and only workshop I've ever taught where we had a scheduled 6:00 AM pre-dawn Brew Up session at Zabriskie Point. What better way to start a day of photography than with a cold beer? The group photo below shows our rag tag group at the end of that morning's session. You'll find Trochowski, Woods, and me kneeling in the front row, left to right.
1975 Death Valley Workshop Final Sunrise Field Session All twelve of us—nine participants and three instructors—camped throughout the workshop. At the time, the camping fee in Death Valley was a whopping $1 per space per night! As I recall we crammed as many vehicles as possible into a few campsites to save money. I suspect those camped nearby were not pleased by our boisterous enthusiasm during the evening sessions. The participants were eager, dedicated, and excited. We all knew each other, and the experience was as fun as it was educational. Woods, Trochowski, and I learned a lot about teaching, and I continue to learn from workshop students every time I teach. Anne and I are looking forward to our upcoming Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra: Exploring Autumn Light workshop this October (which, thankfully, is already full with a long waiting list). Over the past five decades, I've taught hundreds of workshops and had the privilege of sharing my love for photography with thousands of students. Many of my closest friends today are people I met while teaching workshops.
John Sharing Ideas with Workshop Participant Looking back, I had no idea that this first workshop would mark the beginning of my lifelong journey as a photographic educator. Teaching photography has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career. When someone entrusts me with their learning, I take that responsibility seriously. Seeing students grow, improve, and find success over the years has been incredibly rewarding. Some have even shared that attending one of my workshops was a life-changing experience—a sentiment I understand well, as my own life was forever changed when Woods and I attended Ansel Adams' 1973 workshop in Yosemite.
SAVE THE DATES Anne and I are thrilled to be sharing a two-person exhibition, Embracing Light, at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, California. We are both working diligently in the darkroom making prints for our upcoming show. For those that might be in the area, there will be a lecture and opening reception on Saturday, June 7th, 2025, at the Center for Photographic Art. It would be great to see you there. The exhibition will run through July 27, 2025. (Please note this date is one week earlier than was initially announced. The CPA had to make a recent adjustment in their exhibition schedule due to a date conflict with the show that follows ours.) We will be including work from our long-term project of photographs from Venice, Italy, as well as other new images, along with some oldies but goodies from the past.
Anne and I also plan to visit the CPA gallery on several occasions throughout June and July. We will keep you posted on those dates. We look forward to connecting with you, discussing our work, and answering any questions you may have. We hope to see many of you at some point during our exhibition.
CONTACT US WITH QUESTIONS, OR COMMENTS: John Sexton Voice: 831-659-3130 info@johnsexton.com
Follow John on Social Media
THE FINE PRINT You are receiving this email because you have previously expressed an interest in John Sexton's photographs, workshops, or publications. If you are receiving this message in error, please accept our apologies. If you prefer to no longer receive future email updates from us and UNsubscribe from the eNewsletter, just send a quick note with your email address to remove@johnsexton.com and we'll take care of it. We respect your privacy, and do not disclose your email, or other contact information, to others. Copyright ©2025 John Sexton. All rights reserved.
|
