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JOHN SEXTON PHOTOGRAPHY NEWSLETTER
- A NOTE FROM JOHN
Autumn, a season synonymous with change, resonates deeply with me as a lifelong Californian. Unlike the brilliant, vivid fall foliage that many enjoy in different parts of the country, my experience in California has been different, and less dramatic. However, our recent trip to the Eastern Sierra revealed the stunning golden hues of my favorite tree, the aspen. During our Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra: Exploring Autumn Light workshop we witnessed a breathtaking mix of colors - some trees still green, others shedding their leaves. After the workshop, Anne and I extended our stay for camping and photography, a tradition of ours. Our explorations were marked by strong fall winds, unfavorable for photography but accompanied by spectacular cloud formations. One evening, Tioga Pass closed, hinting at the imminent arrival of snow in the days ahead. Back home, our autumn is subtler but equally enchanting. From our deck, we admire a stretch of golden sycamores along the creek. Just recently, we woke to our season's first frost. The local deer are bustling with their mating rituals, often heard racing through the oak leaves. Our wild turkey population, bolstered by a neighbor's feeding, has grown remarkably. Each morning, a procession of over 50 turkeys marches like an 'army' up our hill, and by evening, their 'air force' takes flight to roost in the canyon below. Did you know turkeys can fly at speeds of 50 mph for short distances? Anne and I learned this astonishing fact when one zoomed over our deck–just a couple of feet over our heads. These are large birds (an adult male can weigh up to 25 pounds) and when they glide through the air at high speed, they are anything but quiet! Amidst these autumnal changes, I have an important update for my subscribers. Starting February 1, 2024, my print prices will increase. Details about this change are in the article below. I am also thrilled to announce a joint exhibition with Anne at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite National Park. Running from November 10, 2023, to January 6, 2024, with an artist reception on December 16, this exhibition is a true honor for both of us. As autumn transitions to winter, Anne and I wish you a delightful Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the talented team behind this eNewsletter - Cliff Rusch, Nic Hubbard, Laura Bayless, and Brian Kyle. Their dedication over the past 22 years and 71 issues has been indispensable in bringing this project to life. As unwanted emails continue to grow in number and frequency it is a challenge for us to try and make sure our eNewsletters successfully reach our subscribers. I have a more difficult time than some–thanks to my last name! Please help us reach you by making sure you have your spam filters and email software set to accept info@johnsexton.com, and be sure to let us know if you change your email address. Thanks! Enjoy the wonderful autumn light! John
ORIGINAL SILVER GELATIN PRINTS BY JOHN AND ANNE It has been a few years since Anne and I have simultaneously offered prints at special discounted prices to our eNewsletter subscribers. I will be offering the image, Black Oak, Fallen Branches, Yosemite Valley, California, and the image Anne has chosen is a limited edition print, Trees, Winter, Yosemite Valley. From now until December 31, 2023 I am offering my 11x14" silver gelatin print for $700 - a 30% from the normal retail price of $1,000. Anne is also offering a 30% discount on her new limited edition print – the discounted price for her print is $420. Anne's gallery retail price for her limited edition print is $600. After December 31, 2023 the price for my print returns to $1,000, and the price for Anne's print will increase to $600.
Black Oak, Fallen Branches, Yosemite Valley, California To learn more about the print, Black Oak, Fallen Branches, or to place an order, follow this link:
Trees, Winter, Yosemite Valley, California To learn more about the print, Trees Winter, Yosemite Valley, or to place an order, follow this link: My lifelong love affair with Yosemite Valley is not just about its breathtaking landscapes; it is a journey through a mosaic of deeply personal memories and inspirations. This unique valley boasts both dramatic and subtle natural wonders, and one of my favorite spots, El Capitan Meadow, has been a source of inspiration and creativity for me over the years. This serene meadow, adorned with majestic black oaks, lies at the foot of El Capitan, its granite face soaring more than 3,000 feet above. In 1978, I made what I consider to be my first successful photograph in El Capitan Meadow. I had attempted to make photographs there going back as far as 1973 but could not quite put the visual puzzle together to suit my desires. As I have mentioned before, when I am drawn to a location, I make it a point to revisit it over time. This allows me to witness how it transforms with the shifting seasons, changing light, and serves as a kind of gauge for my evolving photographic interests and preferences. El Capitan, to this day, continues to hold a special place in my heart as one of those enduring and cherished locations. The image Black Oak, Fallen Branches, Yosemite Valley was made on a cold blustery overcast February day. In all honesty, it was a rather uninteresting day as the sun seldom shone, and rain changed to wet snow and back. I had visited a few other locations in the valley and had also explored El Capitan Meadow earlier in the day. I had meandered about the meadow carrying my 4x5 view camera, but not exposing any film. It was late in the afternoon when I decided to return to El Capitan Meadow. The situation did not look promising at first. However, as is often the case, things began to unexpectedly change–fortunately for the better. As I was strolling around the meadow with my camera, stopping and looking through my viewing frame, the sky slowly began to brighten, and the heavy cloud cover began to lessen. I watched the sky transform from a monotonous overall gray to something gossamer like. I realized I needed a subject in the foreground to make effective use of the changing atmospheric conditions in the background. I rushed over to one of my favorite trees in the meadow where a large limb had fallen to the ground a few years earlier. As I began to think about how to organize the image, the weather, the clouds, and lighting began to further improve. The snow-covered cliffs on the south side of the valley were emerging and disappearing in interesting ways. Having learned the hard way from being too slow, I worked as quickly as I could. I set up my 4x5 Linhof Technika camera with my 120mm wide angle lens, and while looking at the image on the ground glass, things got even more interesting. The slightly wide angle 120mm lens gave the tree a sense of presence. Working expeditiously, I mounted a Wratten #12 yellow filter with the hopes it would better separate the rapidly moving mist from the sky and help distinguish the subtle separations in the snow. As is typically the case, I made two identical exposures, each 2 seconds at f/32. Shortly after completing the second exposure, the clouds began to fill in and evolve to an overall grayness again. I was very excited about the image and nervous with anticipation if I had done everything properly. Fortunately, after I gave the Kodak Tri-X Professional 4x5 film normal development in Kodak HC-110 developer, the negatives looked promising. When I viewed them on the light table, I could see I had two different photographs. The mist and clouds had changed, and the one I printed was far more interesting. It is not an easy negative to print as the overall contrast was a bit on the high side, but local contrast due to the soft light was low. Considerable work in the darkroom is necessary to achieve the print that fulfilled my visualization when I made this photograph nearly 40 years ago. I hope you enjoy this image as much as I do. Anne and I are looking forward to photographing in Yosemite next month when we visit to attend the reception for our current exhibition at The Ansel Adams Gallery. We will undoubtedly spend time exploring, and hopefully photographing, at El Capitan Meadow. It may come as no surprise that this image, along with Anne's stunning photograph below, are both included in our current exhibition at The Ansel Adams Gallery. These two prints are also available at the special discount price through The Ansel Adams Gallery through December 31, 2023. The print size for this image is approximately 13-3/8 x 10-3/8", personally printed by me (as are all my prints), processed to current archival standards, signed, mounted, and matted to 16x20" on 100 percent rag museum board. You can see the image and place a secure online order for the print at the Ventana Editions web store: Here is Anne's recollection of making her image: Winter is my favorite season. The crisp, short days and the allure of falling snow captivate me. Snowfall brings a simplicity to the landscape, transforming the scenery into a monochromatic wonder. As a child in Denmark, I vividly remember the joy I felt when it finally snowed. If it had snowed overnight, I knew instantly upon waking. There was a special silence that would signal a snowy blanket outside. Peeking through the curtain to see my backyard covered in white was a joyous sight. Decades have passed, but my delight in the sight of snow remains undiminished. During a winter trip to Yosemite with John, where we were camping, we were blessed with nightly snowfall. Each morning, we were greeted with a breathtaking and untouched winter wonderland. It was on the final day of our five-day adventure, in the serene setting of El Capitan Meadow, that I made this image, now offered as a limited edition print titled Trees, Winter, Yosemite Valley. This trip proved to be my most productive winter photography journey in Yosemite to date. In the past, I have offered two other limited edition prints from this same remarkable adventure. I sincerely hope that you derive as much joy from this image as I do! The Image Trees, Winter, Yosemite Valley is approximately 6-9/16 x 7-1/4". Personally printed by me, processed to current archival standards, signed, numbered, mounted, and matted to 14 x 17" on 100% rag museum board. This print is offered in a Limited Edition of 50 numbered silver gelatin prints, plus 5 artist proofs. When the edition is sold out no further prints will be made for sale in any size. You can see this image and place a secure online order for this print at the Ventana Editions web store: Prints will begin shipping on November 27, 2023. If you would like to receive your print in time for the Holidays, please be sure to let us know at the time of the order. It would be a good idea to follow up with an email. We will make every effort to ship prints out in time for Holiday gift giving to those who need them. All the prints ordered will be shipped no later than March 30, 2024. All the prints are carefully prepared and packaged in specially designed protective shipping boxes, and shipped fully insured via UPS ground. If you have any questions about the prints, please feel free to contact Anne at 831-659-3130, or email: info@johnsexton.com. Our office hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, Pacific Time.
14th ANNUAL MONO LAKE AND THE EASTERN SIERRA: EXPLORING AUTUMN LIGHT WORKSHOP Anne and I had a wonderful time leading our most recent Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra: Exploring Autumn Light workshop. We are pleased to announce next year's offering of this extremely popular workshop. There is a strong possibility 2024 will be the final time we offer this particular workshop.
If you are interested in next October's Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra: Exploring Autumn Light workshop–which will run from October 14-18, 2024, be sure to apply early, as this workshop always fills quickly. The 2024 session will be the 14th, and possibly final, offering of this particular workshop! It is very likely that the session will be over subscribed. Please note that this is NOT a first come, first served, workshop enrollment process. Anne and I both personally review all applications and try to assemble a workshop group that will create a stimulating environment for all who attend. Both traditional and digital photographers are invited to apply for this synergistic field workshop experience. We try and provide an environment that presents useful information, as well as inspiration, to encourage personal growth in your photography. I want to thank all our workshop Corporate Partners and Associate Partners for their support of the program over the years. It is amazing to realize it was more than 45 years ago that I taught my first small workshop with my long-time friend John Charles Woods for a handful of fellow photography majors at Cypress College. Again, to learn more about the workshops, or to apply, please visit my web site www.johnsexton.com where you can download the complete workshop brochure as well as the application form here: http://www.johnsexton.com/schedule.html.
Fun memories from our 2023
JOHN'S PRINT PRICES TO INCREASE FEBRUARY 1, 2024 2023 is a big year for me in a couple of ways. This year marks my 50th year of attempting to do serious and creative photography, and just in May I completed my 70th orbit around the sun! Long gone are the days when I would first meet a photographer and hear, "You're a lot younger than I thought you would be." Today, on occasion, I get something like, "I didn't know you were still alive." Not long ago when being introduced at a photographic event I was referred to as 'venerable.' I suspect it was meant as a compliment, but it rang strangely in my ears. When Anne and I first began our relationship 30 years ago I remember her commenting, "Most of your friends are a lot older than you." As the years have scrolled by, sadly, I have fewer and fewer friends that are older than me. At a certain point, you begin to prioritize what activities are of the greatest importance to you. This happens as you glance at the fuel gauge of life and realize that you are likely approaching a low fuel warning light soon! Anne and I have been discussing our priorities and what we hope to accomplish in the future. In our discussions, we have decided that it is time for me to increase the gallery retail price of my photographic prints. It has been several years since I have had a price increase. So, effective February 1, 2024, my open edition print prices will increase as follows: 11x14" or smaller prints – $1,250 16x20" prints – $2,000 In addition, prints with higher tiered pricing Anne and I greatly appreciate the interest and loyalty of our collectors!
ANNE AND JOHN TWO-PERSON EXHIBITION Anne and I are thrilled and deeply honored to announce our third two-person exhibition at The Ansel Adams Gallery in majestic Yosemite National Park. The exhibition, Sharing the Sublime, which opened on November 10, 2023, will be on display through January 6, 2024. You can view a number of the images included in the exhibition here. Our relationship with The Ansel Adams Gallery has been a fulfilling and long-standing partnership. Anne has been represented by the gallery for over a decade. As for me, I am deeply humbled to hold the unique honor of being the gallery's longest-represented photographer, aside from Ansel Adams himself! This distinction is particularly special considering the gallery's illustrious history that spans more than 120 years. My association with the gallery, spanning a mere forty-three years, has been an important part of my artistic journey. We are pleased to share a selection of curated prints from negatives that span the years of our artistic journey together. For both Anne and me, the magic of light as it reveals our subjects is an integral aspect of our creative photographic process. Through our work, we aspire to reveal not only the intrinsic beauty of the subjects before our lenses but also to convey the exhilaration and inspiration that we experienced when making each image. While we both employ similar photographic tools, our individual approaches yield distinct palettes in our respective prints. As is the case with all our prints, the prints in this exhibition are handcrafted black and white silver gelatin prints, made in our traditional wet darkroom—which is a place where magic happens for us both.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to Evan Russel, our steadfast collaborator, and Curator at The Ansel Adams Gallery for the past eleven years. Evan, in his thoughtfully written Curator's Note, has these very kind words about our photographs:
If you happen to find yourself in beautiful Yosemite National Park between now and January 6, 2024, we invite you to stop by the gallery to see our photographs on display. Moreover, for those who might be in Yosemite on December 16, 2023, we extend a personal invitation to join us for the gallery's artists' reception between 11 am and 2 pm. It would be a pleasure and an honor to see friends, and hopefully make some new ones. After all, we would not want to be the only ones, along with Evan, in attendance!
40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE ANSEL ADAMS WALL CALENDAR The new year is almost upon us, and 2024 is approaching faster than I would like! In today's digital age, nearly everyone relies on a calendar app on their desktop computer or other electronic devices. However, Anne and I still appreciate the charm of having a traditional wall calendar hanging in our home and studio. It allows us to glance at it and gain a sense of where we are in the month. It is likely no surprise to readers of this newsletter that our calendar of choice is the Ansel Adams Wall Calendar. What is remarkable is that the 2024 edition marks the 40th Anniversary of this incredibly popular calendar. I am confident that Ansel Adams would be delighted, and perhaps even astonished, by the enduring popularity of this calendar and his photographs in today's world. I still recall when the idea of Ansel creating a calendar was first discussed at a publishing meeting. Little, Brown and Company, Ansel's publisher to this day, had published a handful of exceptionally high-quality Ansel Adams posters in 1981, which were met with great success. This success paved the way for the possibility of a calendar. Just as he did with the posters, Ansel experimented with different paper stocks. True to his commitment to quality, he selected the heaviest and highest-quality stock for the calendar, much to the publisher's initial frustration. Additionally, he chose the same printer, Gardner/Fulmer Lithograph, under the guidance of its co-owner, David Gardner, to ensure the highest quality laser-scanned reproductions available at the time complimented with an elegant classic design. Ansel was confident that people would respond positively to items created with great taste and held to high-quality standards, and he was absolutely right!
According to my notes, Ansel had completed his initial selection of images in January of 1983, and the printing presses rolled in July of the same year. I vividly remember the excitement when Ansel received the first bound copies of the calendar shortly afterward. His immense satisfaction was evident through his beaming smile and sparkling eyes. I have always had a penchant for "collecting things," a habit that Anne can attest to. If I sense that something might be important in the future or simply find it interesting, I tend to hold onto it. (Could I be considered a hoarder?). I still have the inaugural 1984 edition of Ansel's Wall Calendar, along with every other year's wall calendar, including the new 2024 edition. The 1984 calendar is particularly special to me as it bears Ansel's signature. Did you know that four decades' worth of Ansel Adams wall calendars tips the scales at approximately 36 pounds? We only realized this when we pulled out all 40 of our calendars in preparation for this article.
Forty years of Ansel Adams wall calendars on our dining table The 40th Anniversary Edition also boasts a special commemorative back cover featuring an environmental editorial penned by Ansel for the inaugural 1984 printing which includes these words:
The 1984 Wall Calendar had a suggested retail price of $9.95, and it enjoyed unprecedented success, rivaling the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar and the immensely popular Garfield Calendar as a bestseller. Clearly, it has stood the test of time. The 2024 40th Anniversary Edition of Ansel's Wall Calendar is available wherever books are sold including Amazon.com or directly from Ansel's publisher, Little, Brown and Company. The suggested retail price is $19.99. When you consider the value, the price of $9.95 for the 1984 wall calendar in today's equivalent 2023 dollars would be approximately $29.50, making the 2024 calendar an absolute steal!
BBC "MASTER PHOTOGRAPHERS" SERIES Here's a "blast from the past" for Ansel enthusiasts... For your viewing pleasure, here is a BBC documentary on Ansel that was part of their Master Photographers series that was broadcast in 1983. This was a six-part series and included presentations of approximately 30 minutes each on the following photographers: • Ansel Adams (1902-1984) I stumbled across this video not long ago. It had been many years since I had seen it. It brought back a number of fond memories and I wanted to share those with you. You might even recognize a much younger me in the opening sequence where Ansel is photographing Weston Beach at Point Lobos. You will have the opportunity to hear Ansel and I sharing the typical technical banter that often transpired when I assisted him photographing in the field. The video continues with Ansel discussing a number of his photographs. I clearly remember when Peter Adam, the producer and interviewer along with his BBC crew spent three days in September 1982 making this documentary.
If you are interested in viewing or downloading the other five episodes, they are available at this link: I want to caution you about the image quality and some of the sound quality in this video - recorded 40 years ago! Things have changed in video technology over those four decades, and the original video quality has not benefited from the time that has passed. I want to thank our video production consultant, Brian Kyle, for working his 'magic' on both the image and audio quality in the original recording. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into Ansel's photographic life. If you're interested, please feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I don't post things there often, but from time to time I hope I will find a few more things of interest to viewers.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMICALS – BREAKING NEWS Earlier in the year, a number of our subscribers noticed that Kodak Professional photographic chemicals were in extremely short supply and in many instances on back order. This problem was created when Sino Promise, the exclusive marketing agent for Eastman Kodak Company, decided to exit the photographic chemical business. This left the future of the legendary Kodak Professional photographic chemicals in uncertainty. It appeared as if the brand might disappear. I have hot off the press excellent, and exciting, news to share with readers. I was recently in communication with Alan Fischer the CEO and founder of Photo Systems Inc. which has been manufacturing photographic chemicals for more than 45 years. I have known Alan for a couple of years and have been impressed with his knowledge of photographic processing chemicals. I was pleased when Alan shared the breaking news that he had successfully secured the worldwide license for Kodak Professional chemistry going forward, and that the full current product line will be offered for sale once again. I am thrilled that readers of this newsletter are among the first to know this important news! As many readers know, I have used Kodak Professional film throughout my entire 50-year career in photography. In addition, I have relied on Kodak Professional processing chemicals during that same time frame. On Christmas night 1969 under the dim glow of some red Christmas tree bulbs, I saw true magic take place in my friend Mark's homemade 'dark room'. He had received an enlarger that morning as a Christmas gift and wanted to share his new 'toy' with me. He had small 5 x 7 trays and the chemicals in a small envelope for what I now know was a Kodak "Tri–Chem Pack". This contained small amounts of a developer, stop bath and fix, the three basic chemicals for photographic processing. What was mixed up in the first tray–where the magic of the print emerging in the dim red illumination–was Kodak Dektol developer. I have used Kodak Dektol developer as my primary paper developer since my earliest experiences in the darkroom and continue to do so today. During the latter years of Ansel's life, his primary paper developer of choice was Kodak Dektol.
I am going to let Alan tell you, in his own words, the story behind the Kodak Professional chemicals recent past and their bright future:
SOME THOUGHTS ON PHOTOGRAPHY... AND OTHER TOPICS
— Ansel Adams in his Autobiography
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