Fine Art of Photography

JACK JEFFERS---RECENT NEWS 2012

2012-01-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

EXHIBITION

END OF AN ERA: The Photography of Jack Jeffers

VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Richmond, VA

Opens February 20, 2012 and runs through August 26

“This exhibition displays large-format black-and-white prints of people and landscapes from the Appalachian region of western Virginia taken by award-winning photographer Jack Jeffers. Before Jeffers moved to Wyoming, the Virginia artist donated 123 monumental images to the Virginia Historical Society. Jeffers stated in 1996, “What you have represents almost thirty years of my life. Much of what I have recorded is already past history and most of the people I photographed are either dead or close to it.”

“The show will consist of two dozen of the photographs you so kindly donated to the Society. Our designer and I decided that we best give your powerful images room to breathe -- and not stack them like the walls of the Louvre in past centuries. We are confident that the 24 images we selected will make a very powerful impact indeed! So too will the labels, because, aside from an introductory panel, we are using your words entirely. We obviously have utilized your website, and we make reference to it in the introductory label so that visitors to the VHS can discover it.” ---Dr. William Rasmussen

Virginia Historical Society
428 N. Boulevard
Richmond, VA
804-358-4901

HORSE AND FENCE 1979

2012-01-05T10:56:00.001-08:00

RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN

Go to the next post to read the Story Behind the Scene

Left click on the image above to view a larger image.

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT 2012

2012-01-05T09:52:00.001-08:00

This image is also posted about midway through my blog, and I noticed this morning that it had received an earlier comment. It went like this. "I would have put more open field than hillside if I were to shoot the same subject."

Had this been a painting, I would have seen some merit to the statement because the painting could have been altered and changed during the initial concept. The painter could have repositioned the old truck, changed the foreground and altered the background depending on his or her creative process.

I captured this image as I envisioned it, and I used a normal 80 mm lens on my medium format camera to make the exposure. All of the elements came together in my mind and they were about as near perfect as one could imagine. Lastly, Mother Nature tossed in another snow shower just as I was setting up my tripod and camera, This completed my composition.

The person doing the critique did not seem to understand that I could not have moved any further back because I had already run out of space, and I chose not to move any further left or right or it would have upset the balance and lead-in which had already been established by the artist. In other words, I liked this landscape just as it was, and to add one further note, I do not "shoot" my subjects. I photograph them. Leave the shooting to the gun lovers.

A final note--there were many other potential close-up images in and around this old farm scene. This, however, was my favorite, and a scene such as this provides many potentially nice concepts for the camera or brush artist.

HORSE AND FENCE

There is another nice image in this blog which received some criticism from a fellow photographer way back when---about 1979, I believe. This guy was almost nasty about his critique. I will post the image which I title, "Horse & Fence just ahead of this one so that you can clearly see what we are talking about.

To capture an image such as this, you must anticipate, and then at the precise moment, you execute. This has often been referred to as the "Decisive Moment."

I stopped along a back country road in central Virginia and watched this scene develop as the horse approached the fence. By then I had the camera set up and ready to go. I even had a plastic bag placed over it to prevent the snow from melting on the lens. I made the exposure precisely when the horse turned it's head and looked to it's left. Or, from my standpoint, to the right. That is what made this image a total success. Had I made the exposure with the horse looking straight at me or in the opposite direction, the image would have been unacceptable.

The fellow making the open critique told me that the image was split into two halves, linked together only by a fence. It should NOT have that open space which is partially occupied by the horse between the two trees. The key to this is the fact that the horse, by turning it's head to the left, leads the viewers eye into the presentation and beyond. How simple it is, and it has been one of my favorite images over the years. This is the only criticism that I know of which was ever personally directed at me regarding the horse and fence. But, people are funny.

I have continually told up-and-coming artists to react to their gut feeling. "If the concept feels right, push that shudder release, and nine times out of ten, you will be right on target."

This artist prefers to think of "Rules" as guidelines. In the art world, rules are made to be broken. But be careful not to overwork a piece of art.

In the old days when I was still into serious printing, the trash can in my lab was often overflowing with test strips resulting from futile attempts to make a finished print turn out just the way I had originally envisioned it.

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NATURE'S ABSTRACT 2011

2011-12-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

I was fiddling with my computer one day when I discovered a hidden program which I applied to one of my recent color images. I find the results to be rather interesting, but I am of the old school, and much prefer the traditional approach to photography.

The tree line can be viewed in it's original form as you go much deeper into my blog. I prefer the original concept.

TEAM OF WORK HORSES 1979

2011-11-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

This team of work horses was spotted along a back-country road in the northern perimeter of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The weather was just perfect for my planned trip, and it was not only a bit foggy, but there was a fine snow sifting down from above. The weather conditions made it possible to drop the background down a bit and place the emphasis totally on the horses.

The fence post with its touch of wire and several weeds were included for good measure. This added another artistic touch which was purely a personal thing. Bottom line, it works, and that's what counts when it comes to creating a work of art. All of the elements should come together as one.

When I worked with black and white, I always used a twin lens medium format 120 roll film camera. The bright viewing screen was fairly large, and I was able to spot every speck of detail in the composition. That is one major advantage that medium or large format cameras had over the much smaller 35mm. You know exactly what you are looking at. And, hopefully, you will know exactly what you will end up with.

A few years ago, I donated my entire lab and all of my camera equipment to a nearby college. When you cross the line from about seventy on, it's time to reduce the weight of the equipment you pack on a field trip. i simply got to the point where it was no longer enjoyable to tote that forty-five pound camera pack and tripod around. It was not only that, but it was time to take off in a totally different direction, and digital was just starting to make a name for itself in the field of photography. This made my change in direction quite easy. I now carry a small camera pack along with my trusty old tripod, and the combined weight comes out well under twenty pounds. Now, I am having fun again.

This blog contains black and white images from years gone by, and there is also a healthy mix of my new digital images. I sure do miss that large view finder. This tiny little opening, which I now have to sight and focus through, can drive an older person nuts. However, the joy of being able to make good photographs outweighs the irritation of the peep hole.

This is not the first time I have used a 35mm camera. Far from it. In working for a university back east and for many of my commercial assignments, the 35mm was a primary choice. Often, I would use more than one format for a single job, and that included a four by five view camera. Still, over he years, the 2 1/4 was my overall choice for my fine art photography.

I am having fun with this blog. It is yet another major innovation which popped up along the road to new adventure. It enables me to share my work with others, and I hope you enjoy viewing this collection as much as I enjoyed creating it.

To enlarge these images, simply left click on the above illustration and you will be surprised at what pops up.

COAST OF MAINE 1986

2011-11-02T12:37:00.001-07:00

To view an enlarged illustation of the above photograph, left click on image.

GROUNDED FISHING BOAT Reedville, VA 1975

2011-10-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

LOBSTER SHED NOVA SCOTIA 1988

2011-10-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

To enjoy a larger view, left click on above image.

TOM LUCAS DUBOIS, WY 2011

2011-10-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you ever happen to pass through central Wyoming heading west toward the Wind River Range, stop by the Silver Sage Gallery in Dubois and say howdy to Tom Lucas. He and his partner own and operate this neat western gallery.

When we made our Wyoming trip back in mid September, I made it a point to stop by, and there sat Tom working on another new western painting. Tom is a realist, and his paintings are just astounding; displaying exquisite detail. I will have to admit, this is the first time I have ever seen an artist working with their favorite pal tucked under their arm, but Tom made it look easy.

Our paths crossed early on when we lived in Wyoming, and what immediately drew me to Tom was his skill in flintknapping. He is a real pro when it comes to making stone arrow heads and other primitive implements. But his greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, are his horn bows. I first saw him on Wyoming Public Television, and he went through the entire process of making and shooting an original horn bow. Now, folks, that takes real skill and countless hours of patience. The horn for his bows comes from the Big Horn Sheep which live in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming.

Making wood bows and arrows was also one of my favorite pass times over the decades, and I still do a bit of leather work in my spare time. Small stuff compared to the days when I was making quivers and arm guards from steer hides.

Visit Tom's web site at: http://www.silversagegallery.com/

Left click on the illustration above to view a large image of Tom.

COLORADO BARN AND THE CHANGING OF THE LEAVES 2011

2011-10-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Uncompahgre Valley, in and around Montrose, Colorado, is now in full color.

This neat little shed, west of town, is on it's last legs, so I decided to stop alongside the road and save it for posterity. It can now be enjoyed by others who have access to the Internet. The change of color, the fencing, and the shed itself reminds me a lot of those many landscapes I captured several decades ago back in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and well into the highlands of NW Virginia.

To view a larger image, left click on the photograph above.

THE LAST DAY OF FALL COLOR FOR 2011

2011-10-16T10:11:00.001-07:00

This image is a fine example of why it helps to live in an area for a year or so prior to making a major photographic documentary. It gives you a chance to scope out the area. I first spotted this location overlooking the Uncompahgre River and San Juan Range two years ago, and last year about this same time, I thought I had it nailed to the wall, but the color just had not quite reached the point where the image could equal this one which I made two days ago.

It was one of those landscapes which was waiting for me several miles south of town, and that gave me a chance to observe the various color changes over a period of time. I arrived at the site about ten in the morning and here is the end result. All of the elements came together as I had previsualized them.

Many of the images which I posted on this blog were made under similar circumstances, and there are quite a number of landscapes which required me to wait for several years before the lighting and subject matter were as close to perfect as I could ask for.

My trusty fifty-year-old tripod, which has been through many a great adventure over the decades, made it possible to capture this image as planned. And yes, I used a polarizing filter which helped to hold the sky and a few soft clouds together in the background.

Left click on image for larger view.

CRABTREE FALLS VA Circa 1979

2011-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

This was one of my most memorable hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and the best time of the year to take this jaunt, in my opinion, would be in the spring. Head up during the morning hours when the temperature is still comfortable and count on about a four-hour round-trip hike. The trail begins just off route 56 east of Montebello where the highway parallels the Tye River.

You have a 1,380 elevation gain with numerous cascades ranging from small to large. The foot trail is the most common means of reaching the top, but for photography purposes, I always elected to take the direct route by following the stream to the top. The upper falls is quite dangerous, so do not step out into the stream at that point, because people have been killed by taking a bad step on to the slippery rocks.

Things have likely changed since I made my last trip thirty years ago, but for all I know, there is probably a chair lift to to the top. Hopefully, this pristine area of the Blue Ridge has not been altered over the years.

I led a troop of Boy Scouts up to the upper level back during the late sixties, when things were a bit more rustic. All I can remember is that we got a late start and ended up making the climb in total darkness. We camped in a lovely meadow above the falls, and I am sure there are many grown men who still remember that weekend adventure.

There were quite a few flashlights that ended up glowing dim on that trip.

FALL- COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY

2011-10-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

JACK JEFFERS: TWO COLLECTABLE BOOKS STILL AVAILABLE

2011-10-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I still have a few of these two books stashed away, and they have reached the status of Rare Books.

I have about three dozen copies of APPALACHIAN IMAGES remaining, and the price is Fifty-five dollars. Five bucks for shipping. And it will be personally autographed by me, the artist.

This special edition was published by Radford University Art Museum in 2006. Many of my finest Appalachian and Western images are included in this soft cover book.

APPALACHIAN BYWAYS is the second book published by the artist in 1984. It has sold well over the years and I stashed a number of these away before our western move in 1997. My price is $50.00 plus five bucks for shipping. Each of these is also personally autographed by the artist.

The images in both books are fine screen duotones and the tonal quality of the image shown above is very close to that of the originals. Both books are high-quality printing jobs.

Jack Jeffers can be contacted through his web site at: jack@jeffersfineart.com

Left click on the above illustration for a larger image.

WYOMING COWBOY 2011

2011-10-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

JACK JEFFERS, WYOMING ADVENTURE Sept 2011

2011-10-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Things have been so hectic around these parts that I have never gotten around to posting anything from our recent Wyoming trip. So, what we need right now is a good cowboy photograph, and this one should do the trick.

Pat goes to Dubois every September to attend the SKB ( Susan K. Black Foundation) fine art workshop, and I go along for the ride. Actually, my primary objective is to make new images because Dubois is right in the heart of some of the most beautiful and wildest country you have ever stepped into. A number of my Wyoming images are posted on this blog, but you may have to dig way back to view the lot.

TWO NEW BOOKS ON CD

I published a CD book earlier in the year titled MY WYOMING OUTBACK, and I never did get around to plugging in any of my new cowboy images. To answer the WHY question--I did not have any. This most recent trip took care of that situation, and I quickly updated that publication, and it now includes several cowboy and cowboy-related images. The total number of pages is 151, with almost as many photographs and short essays. By any count, this is a good size book.

It will only cost you thirty bucks to find out how good this documentary really is, ( shipping is included) and the images are equal to any table-top book you might have. It does help to have a flat, high-resolution screen to view this work, but CD books are becoming more and more common these days.

You can get in touch with me by using: jack@jeffersfineart.com

Book number two was completed in 2010, and it covers nearly sixty years as an artist. It is titled: FROM THE BLUE RIDGE TO THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND BEYOND. That's a long title, but it also has a long list of subject matter, including the last of the mountain people. The price is still thirty bucks (shipping included). Ya can't beat that these days for a high-quality book. It's about the same size as the Wyoming Outback. A lot of vintage images are included in this volumn.

That is my commentary for the day.

FALL ARRIVES IN THE SAN JUAN RANGE CO 2011

2011-10-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

At first, it appeared that fall was running a bit late. Then, suddenly, the color appeared almost overnight, and we had fresh snow on on the mountains. I made this image from a high point along Dallas Divide as the weather front was rolling over the San Juan's. The day before, I worked the Uncompahgre Plateau. It too, was in full color with a mix of storm clouds and sunshine. Two productive days are now behind me.

The color along the western front comes in stages, depending on the altitude. The image posted here was made at about the nine thousand foot level, and the aspen and lower ground cover were at their peak. My next project will include the cottonwoods which should be turning in another week or so. Here in the valley around Montrose, you have a third opportunity to capture brilliant colors, but more into mid October. The altitude here is about 5,700 feet.

There was fresh snow on the San Juan's yesterday, and as this frontal system moves through, there will be more. Perhaps the hot weather is finally behind us. It is time to drain the water and seal up the swamp cooler for another season.

To view a larger image, left click on the above.

DESERT SCAPE WYOMING 2002

2011-09-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

We had quite a surprising experience during this field trip which took place in central Wyoming near Twin Creek. We had two dogs at the time-- Trooper and Sarah, and they both loved to accompany me on my field trips into the desert and mountains.

I had been photographing this rock formation when Sarah (an Australian Healer) became aware of something a short distance away. I did not realize it at the time, but we were heading in the direction of a deer carcass which had been left behind by hunters.

Suddenly, there was a major commotion and Sarah and Trooper were both in hot pursuit of what turned out to be a mountain lion which had been feeding on the remains of the deer. Needless to say, it took me totally by surprise. Now for the big shocker! That lion headed straight for the rock formation to our left, and with Sarah and Trooper in hot pursuit, it quickly climbed the side of that cliff and disappeared over the top.

There were two frustrated dogs left standing with their tongues hanging out, and one guy who was left holding a camera while in total awe at what had just taken place. This was my first of two lion experiences following our move from Virginia to Lander, Wyoming.

A year or so following this experience, my wife and I had witnessed a chase by a lion while sitting in our canoe in the middle of Frye lake during a camping trip into the Wind River high country.

It was a quiet morning and we heard a disturbance in the distance. A large doe was crying out as she was being chased by a mountain lion. We watched part of the chase as the deer and lion disappeared over the top of a nearby hill. Then, much to our surprise, a large buck came up from the rear in hot pursuit of the doe and lion.

I had more than one person tell me that they had lived in Wyoming all their lives and had never seen a lion; let alone have an experience such as we witnessed. And yep, this is how it happened, and I thought it would make a good story. This desert scape just brought back a couple of memorable experiences.

To view a larger image, left click on the photograph above.

Keep going! This blog just left me with a whole mess of empty white space.

JACK JEFFERS; WASHINGTON POST 1973

2011-09-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Good publicity can become the key to a successful fine art career. But major feature stories do not materialize out of thin air. You must work for them.

I was well into my documentary of the Appalachians, and I had just broken down a major attitude barrier in 1972 that had prevented fine art photographers from entering multi-media art shows when people starting asking me when I was going to publish a book of my photographs.

Heck, the thought of producing a book at this point in my life was a bit overwhelming, but the public persisted in asking that question at every art show and exhibition I entered. My images and stories of the mountain people and old farm scenes continued to draw attention . People would constantly ask me how I managed to capture this or that landscape, or the image of a rustic old mountain man.

In 1973 it happened, and quite by chance. I sent a portfolio to the Washington Post, and I targeted the editor of Panorama with a potential story about my work This was the Sunday section that dealt with special area features.

Prior to this story in the Post, I had actually been working on a book, and I was disgusted to learn that publishers were not interested in this type of "regional" subject matter. While publishers were telling me one thing, the public was saying that they wanted a book. I could detect that I stood a good chance of selling a book if I marketed it myself. As it turned out, this became the story of my life. "Do it myself."

Because I had some experience with publishing, design and layout, I had put together a book titled, Windows to the Blue Ridge. And I had taken my material to a local printer to publish four thousand copies. This project literally took every cent I had and then some, but it was just coming off the press when I sent my story to the Post.

I was living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia at the time, and we had a small rural Post Office that serviced the community. I can remember-- it was about the middle of the week when I received a call from our local postal lady, and she asked me if they could make a special delivery right away because they had quite a bit of mail for me. This was somewhat puzzling because I was not expecting anything, but I had not yet seen the previous Sunday edition of the Washington Post.

Bottom line, Hal Willard, had devoted three pages in the Sunday Panorama to my art and my new book. I had told him that I had just finished the publication, and he had worked it into the story, including the price and where to order. This was like winning the local lottery on a grand scale.

I spent the next two weeks stuffing book bags and darn near sold out of the four thousand copies. I immediately put in an order for a second printing of five thousand additional copies with some major upgrades in the paper and binding. In looking back, I figured I sold nearly all of the nine thousand books in less than a year.

At this time, I was working full time for General Electric as an advertising and sales promotion specialist. A short time later, I decided to go it alone as a full-time artist and commercial illustrator, and that lasted for almost nine years before the economy took a turn for the worse. I then joined the public information staff at Radford University. Another new book was in progress and it was titled APPALACHIAN BYWAYS. I had five thousand of those printed, and this time I went with a higher quality stock with full duotone illustrations.

I followed the exact same plan with APPALACHIAN BYWAYS as I did with WINDOWS, and it paid for itself within a month. I still have a few copies of that book, which was printed in 1984, sitting on a shelf, and I proudly tell people that I never paid one thin dime for advertising. Those books kept selling until I took early retirement and moved west.

In 2001, a similar size feature to that which was published by the Washington Post appeared in the Denver Post, and it dominated the Arts & Entertainment Section. The spin off from that was slim because the feature came out just a week prior to 911 and that turned the public heads in another more serious direction. The whole art scene has been a bit shaky ever since. In fact, as I write this, it would appear that the economy is no better off today than it was following the first depression which FDR had to cope with. My father talked about it for the rest his life, and often spoke of how terrible it had been.

Publicity can still be the key to success when it comes to marketing fine art; or anything else for that matter.

Left click on the image above for a larger display.

EWE & TWO LAMBS 1972

2011-09-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

I can still remember making this image as if it were yesterday. It took place in Highland County, Virginia during the winter of 1972.

I was visiting friends near Monterey, and this area was better known as "Virginia's Little Switzerland." I was packing my gear up to head back over the mountain to the Shenandoah Valley when I spotted the ewe standing in the doorway to the old barn. I can still remember trying to decide whether to run for my camera pack or not, because it was already packed in the vehicle, but I did and the ewe stood fast as I set up my tripod and attached my 2 1/4 roll film camera.

By now a lamb had stepped forward, and I made several exposures before lamb number two stepped to the front of the opening. Several more exposures were made, but the one I liked the best was this one of all three sheep looking in the same direction. There were a couple of "decisive moments" during this session in the Allegheny foothills of northwestern Virginia.

This was one of the most popular editions that I had ever made. Thirty-eight originals were made from this negative. All were numbered and dated. It's a funny thing, every so often, I'll receive a note from someone who has tracked me down on the Internet to ask a specific question about one of my originals they inherited from their parents. That question really strikes home because it reminds me of how long I have been involved with my art.

Questiion number one is usually followed by a second, "How much is it worth?" That question used to bother me because I don't really know. But here is an answer that a rather well-known painter uses.

A product is always worth only what someone is willing to pay for it. Thirty years ago, you could have purchased a great Super Bowl seat for face value on the forty-five yard line about ten rows up for $35.00. That same ticket this year could have been sold for at least five thousand dollars..

I could not give you a more honest answer to your question. And, it has been several years since this quote was made so the price of that seat has likely gone up another notch or two.

To view a larger image, left click on the above illustration.

Big Tumbling Creek SW VA 1993

2011-09-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

KEEP IT SIMPLE! 1982

2011-08-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

JACK JEFFERS Aspen Grove. Silver & Oil, Wyoming 1999

2011-08-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hand-colouring a photograph is nothing new. This process dates back to the early days of photography, and it reached its height between the turn of the last century to about nineteen forty. Those five decades have been referred to as the "golden years of hand-colouring." When color film and printing papers were developed, the use of oils and other pigmented processes became history. However, there are always a few of us out here who manage to keep these old classic processes alive.

JACK JEFFERS: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 2011

2011-08-16T09:17:00.001-07:00

Before moving from Virginia to Wyoming's Wind River country in 1997, and his final move to Colorado in 2008, Jack Jeffers spent almost forty years documenting the vanishing people and landscapes of the Appalachians. His is a poetic and classic view of rural America, and he portrays the land in a traditional and representational genre. Each of Jeffers museum-quality images is a projection of his artistry and vision of the world.

In 1972, Jeffers elected to represent himself and market his work through art shows and multi-media galleries. Plus, many of his sales were made through direct contacts with corporate art buyers and private collectors. That is how it has been all these years. Hundreds of his silver images have been acquired by museums and private collectors over the decades.

As Jack reflects back over the years, there is one accomplishment that stands out above the rest; a goal became a cause, and he has the satisfaction of knowing that by pitting his art against other media, he raised the level of public acceptance of fine art photography. In a feature published by the Richmond-Times Dispatch in 1972, it was stated that Jack was the first fine art photographer to take a best in show at a juried all-media art show. This was a major breakthrough for photography, and it opened the doors for other fine art photographers who had been denied the right to be juried into multi-media art shows.

After moving west in 1997, Jeffers broadened his artistic skills, combining transparent oils with some of his silver images. The finished works of art are both a photograph and a painting. The western landscape, with its varied textures and hues, is naturally suited for this mixed-media technique. Jack worked in subtle, layered tones that are quite different from the options available in color photography. The images are Jack's from conception, to the camera and darkroom, and finally to the brush. Because the oil pigments he used will also endure indefinitely, his mixed media works, like his silver sulfide originals, will remain for the enjoyment of future generations.

The spring of 2005 represented a major turning point in Jack's life. He printed his last silver-sulfide image. It was a change that had been in the making for a number of years, but became a reality when he used the final sheet of his favorite printing paper. Classic papers such as those were no longer being made, and those that he used had been preserved in a freezer for nearly twenty-five years.

Over the decades, Jack carefully put aside close to a thousand of his rare vintage and more recent images, and in the spring of 2011, the bulk of his collection of Appalachian images was donated to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. By keeping the core of the collection intact, future generations of art lovers will be able to enjoy the full scope of Jeffers accomplishments.

Prior to leaving Virginia, Jack had donated a sizable collection of Appalachian images to Radford University and the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. In fact, an exhibition of Jack's work is scheduled for Feburary 2012 at the Historical Society Museum.

Jack has had numerous articles published over the years with short essays and photographs illustrating his years as an active artist who documented the last of the mountain people. Feature stories have appeared in such papers as the Denver Post, the Washington Post, and the Atlanta Constitution. Two new CD books have recently been completed: "MY WYOMING OUTBACK and FROM THE BLUE RIDGE TO THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND BEYOND. One last book remains, and that will be a photographic documentary about the western range of Colorado.

Far from being a sad moment for Jack, he has headed off in another direction using the latest in digital technology. At age 77, Jeffers has no regrets about hanging up his heavy film camera pack and taking off on a new and exciting adventure. He now thinks Pixels rather than Silver Particles. But his view of the world around him has not changed. He is still inspired by the gentle, the noble and dignified, and the beautiful unfolding of life as he sees it.

FIELD TRIP TO THE CIMARRONS July 20, 2011

2011-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

To view a larger image, left click on the above photograph.

This past Wednesday, I joined the local art group (ARTFUL FRIENDS) and we headed to the Cimarron Mountains west of Montrose. It was one of my favorite high-country locations and many of the images you will view on this blog were made in this general area.

This lush aspen grove caught my attention about noon. The lighting was just perfect and the mix of aspen trees, flowers and greenery transformed this scene into what could be an eye-catching wall-size mural. To capture the depth of field I envisioned, I used my trusty tripod and stopped down to about f18 with a lens setting of about 28mm.

It was a fine productive day, and that's what art is all about.

CARTER 1980

2011-07-16T10:46:00.001-07:00

This image was totally impromptu. I spotted Carter sitting on his front porch during a day trip along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I took the direct approach and walked right up to his place and asked if he would permit me to make a photograph of him. He must have thought I was nuts, but he allowed me to make several exposures, all of which were equally as nice as the one shown above. It has been one of my favorites over the years. And yes, this time I had him sign a release just to be on the safe side.

Many of my earlier photographs of the mountain people were made by word of mouth. Their verbal permission was good. If they said yes, they meant it. If they said NO, they also meant it. I once asked a mountain man if he would sign a release and he looked at me and said NO. I later discovered that he could not read or write. His word was as good as his "mark." The worst thing I could have done was embarrass a mountain man.

This image of Carter was one of several that were published last year in a special portfolio issue of BLACK AND WHITE MAGAZINE.

In 1982 this same image appeared in a ten-page feature story in Eastman Kodak's STUDIO LIGHT magazine, and that included a front and back cover wrap-around. All of the images which appeared in this story were purchased by Eastman Kodak. The title of the feature was: The Fine Art of Fine Art Photography.

Also included in this same issue were two well-written features about photographers James Van Der Zee and Gordon Parks.

To view a larger image, left click on the study above.

OLD TRUCK & BARN 1984

2011-07-06T10:04:00.001-07:00

Relics of the Past

At this point in my life, my Appalachian Portfolio was winding down, and this was one of the last old farm scenes to be captured along the Blue Ridge. It was made near Montebello, Virginia during January, of 1984.

It was snowing lightly and that was when I most enjoyed getting out with my camera pack. The snow covered a lot of unwanted distractions and brought out the detail of the barn and old truck. It was a few months later when I made the move to Radford, VA and joined Radford University for a nine year stint before taking early retirement and heading west.

The last of my Appalachian images were made while living in Radford, and I concentrated on the extreme southwestern areas of the state. In 1997, we moved from Virginia to Wyoming and after building a formidable size Western Collection from film, the shift was to digital. I am now working totally in digital and bottom line, I am having fun in Colorado.

Don't stop here! There are nearly two hundred more assorted images in this book (blog).

To view a larger view of this scene, left click on the above image.

HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THIS?

2011-07-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

I can vividly remember purchasing gas for seventeen cents a gallon. The tank shown above is listing it for twenty one cents per gallon.

This old gas station was located in the central part of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and I ran across it during the early nineteen seventies. And I actually purchased gas for seventeen cents per gallon during the mid 1950's during a gas war in Danville, Virginia.

I also filled the tank of my old 1939 Ford for about the same price when i was attending what is now Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia a year or two earlier. I could fill the tank of that old Ford for what you pay for one gallon of fuel today and still have some change left over.

It's funny how you remember little things like this.

EFFIE THE MOUNTAIN WOMAN 1972

2011-07-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

FROM JACK JEFFERS PORTFOLIO OF THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE

My encounter with Effie came about quite by chance. A local Mennonite minister in the Shenandoah Valley told me about her and offered to take me up to her place for a brief visit.

She lived alone in a small mountain cabin a lalf-mile or so up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I did not know it at the time, but she was nearly blind, and had to use a stick to get around. Still, she was a tough old lady who spoke her piece.

As we approached her house, I could see her sitting on her front porch rocking away in an old chair. My gut instinct told me this would be one of the images I wanted, so I started unpacking my tripod and camera as I hiked down the trail, which was not easy. I was maybe five paces from her cabin when I stopped and jammed the tripod into the ground, and made several rapid exposures with my 2 1/4 twin-lens roll- film camera.

After my introduction, I made a second image. This time I was able to move in a bit closer and capture the true character of her face. I was right; that was my photography session for the day. When I told her that I had made the first image from a distance, she just laughed and kidded me about why anyone would want to have a picture of an old woman. I told her that her face had lots of character. And I was dead serious. She was a lovely old lady.

One evening, several years following this visit, I was sitting around a campfire enjoying good tales and fellowship with a group of local Mennonite friends who lived in that same general area. Suddenly, there was a lot of commotion in the distance, and several of those in the group took off in a pickup truck to see what was going on up the road. I knew nothing at the time except that it involved Effie.

About an hour later, the group returned with everyone laughing and kidding each other about what had transpired up at Effie's place. Apparently, a neighbor had heard her yelling in the distance and sent for help. Knowing her condition, everyone expected the worst.

What had happened was that some of her chickens and a small pig had gotten loose. Despite her near blindness and the advancing darkness, she took off down through the woods and brush after them. I'm not sure how, but she managed to get hung up real good in a wire fence that was supposed to keep the livestock in. My friends said she was completely stuck and was madder than a wet hen. Fortunately, the only thing that hurt was her dignity.

It wasn't too long after this incident when the wood stove in her cabin backfired during the night and when the neighbors checked on her the next day, she was gone. They think she died of smoke inhalation during her sleep. There was no damage to the house.

Left click on image to view a larger photograph

JACK JEFFERS AND HIS DOG JAKE EXPLORING THE RIM OF RED CANYON WY 2007

2011-07-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of the last field trips we took before making the move from Wyoming to Colorado. Jake was in his prime at this point and the documentary I made of Red Canyon is one of my favorites.

There are now 181 images posted on my blog and most of them have short essays and little tidbits of helpful information for those who are still striving to improve their concepts and images. Take your time and view the entire blog. It is the size of a large table-top book, and I simply enjoy sharing my work, and tales with others. Many of these images are being marketed by a stock art firm which has been handling my work for the better part of thirty-five years.

There is no specific order to the images, so be prepared to view art that ranges from Wyoming and Colorado to the eastern Appalachians and beyond.

To view a larger image, simply left click on the image above and when you are finished, click on the back button, upper left. And enjoy images that date back as far as the 1940's.

BOYSEN LAKE, CENTRAL WYOMING 2007

2011-07-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

Normally, I am not into sunsets and sunrises, but every so often, when something like this stares me in the face, it is difficult to resist the temptation. What makes this are the lines and patterns. The touch or orange/red simply adds that little extra touch that caps the whole scene. You don't generally have much time to work a landscape like this because the light is changing so fact.

The trick is to be ready to take advantage of the "decisive moment."

You will see several more sunsets which are scattered through this book. They are all quite different.

SPRING IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS

2011-07-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

This image was made along the western slope of the San Juan Range in Colorado. It was during the third week in June, and the altitude is about 8,500 feet. If you are living in the northeast or in eastern Canada, you might mistake these lovely trees for birch. Nope, they are aspens and the leaves are quite different. In a slight breeze the small heart-shaped leaves appear to quake and that is the reason these trees have become known as the quaking aspens or Quakers.

JAKE THE DOG 2006 - 2011

2011-06-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

We are dog lovers and I make no bones about it. And I probably prefer dogs to most people.

Jake has been one of the best, and he adopted us when he was eight weeks old back in central Wyoming. He moved in with us just in time to take Sarah's place before she died. She was one mighty fine Australian Healer, and she was more my dog than my wife Pat's. Jake was a mix of Border Collie and Healer. Great combination--smart and loving; and he knew how to have fun.

Jake adored us both, and he accompanied me on every photography field trip I made, and that included many outings in Wyoming. Last week we made our last trip into the San Juan Mountains together. For whatever reason, he developed a terrible phobia toward wind and we have had a lot of it since February. It finally did him in. But his fear started a couple of years ago and grew worse as time progressed.

We bid him farewell last Monday as the local vet put him to sleep. We could not deal with his suffering any longer. The experience of being with him as he went to sleep was an experience which I never-ever want to go through again.

This past week has been a dreadful one for me personally, but an old artist friend--a dog and mule lover in northern Idaho-- told me to march right down to the nearest animal shelter and find another dog. "No one can live without a dog", she said.

The advice was taken to heart, and I did, indeed, visit the local shelter, but I almost changed my mind as I drove up to the entrance. I didn't have to introduce myself to the dogs. They took care of that; particularly the two lovely coon hounds that were waiting for an owner. You could have heard their welcome atop our hill north of town. There is no cry like that of a coon hound.

There was one smallish black dog that remained silent, and I almost passed her by. When I glanced down at her and our eyes met, I almost did a melt-down on the spot because they were exactly like Jake's. She was about his size and when Pat returned with me a bit later, she had exactly the same reaction. "It was those eyes," she said.

This morning we will be going into town to pick up Sammie. For me she will be Sam. I guess that's a guy thing, but Sammie won't know the difference. The sound of either name will be about the same.

This is one of my favorite photographs of Jake, and it was made in September 2007, prior to the move to Colorado. It was quickly voted in by a stock agency which I have been working with for nearly forty years. Jake's memory will continue to live on for years to come.

We made our trip into town and Sam is now at home exploring the house and surroundings. She is a real charmer and fits in perfectly with our life style. There will be no problems with this family member. It seems that she was cast just for us.

Oh yes, Ringo the cat! Ringo grew up with Jake and they became close pals from day one. They learned to play and wrestle early on and for us, they became a joy to watch during those chilly winter days as Jake was gaining size and experience.

Ringo was in the house when we brought Sam home, and I am sure he was watching intently as we led Sam up the steps into the kitchen. I honestly believe that he thought Jake had returned because when we entered the house Ringo went right up to Sam and they touched noses. Only then did Ringo back off a little and watched Sam explore the house while he observed the scene from under the dining room table. They have hit it off just fine. Mission accomplished.

It is hard to imagine what all has taken place in such a short period of time, but sometimes it just seems that certain things are destined to happen. And this is one of those special happenings. We now have one happy family with many more fun adventures awaiting us down the trail.

There is nothing like having a charming dog and a cat around to keep watch over us humans.

Will Sam live up to Jake in terms of being a model? Just stick around, and before the summer is over, I would bet good money that more than one nice photograph will show up on my blog. And the agency will have another nice image of our newest family member. I have yet to have or see a dog that didn't look forward to a great day trip into the wilderness. In a week, we will be heading off for another week of camping at the foot of the San Juan's.
jj

SHENANDOAN VALLEY WINDMILL THROUGH A WINDOW 1972

2011-06-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

The artist had a bit of darkroom fun with this original. The image shown here is a digital copy of the original silver print. You will note the signature, date and edition number along the bottom edge of the original, left.

Left click on the image for a larger view.

TWO AMISH BOYS 1972

2011-06-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across these two boys at an Amish/Mennonite Relief Sale in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I rounded a corner of a wagon loaded with hay bales and there they were.

I was hand-holding my 2 1/4 format camera which was mounted on a pistol grip. I don't think they were ever aware of me as I quickly raised my camera and made this exposure on the fly.

This was a fine example of what is often referred to as the "decisive moment." It was not posed and that is what makes it so memorable.

ABSTRACT--BROKEN CUP 1969

2011-06-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's time to return to the late nineteen sixties and black and white film.

This was the year that I started my long documentary of the Appalachians and the Mountain People. In fact, this is the very spot where it began--on the front porch of a deserted mountain cabin somewhere along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.

I don't recall moving one single piece of this still life. Everything was perfect; at least in my opinion, and I toned the original silver print with an old proven bleach/redevelop process.

There was quite a fuss among fine art photographers in those early days about whether to number or not number your originals. I stuck firmly to the traditions of printmaking and started to number my editions from day one, and I made them short. No open-ended editions by this artist.

I also signed and dated my originals on the print; not the mat. I still see a few photographers who sign on the mat, for whatever reason. Don't people realize that if the mat is damaged by humidity or some unexpected accident, you cannot go back and correct it? That is, assuming that you or a gallery sold your original to someone you don't know.

And remember, the word PRINT refers to an original. Many painters still refer to reproductions as "Prints" and this is misleading and downright dishonest. What really sticks in my craw is when gallery owners refer to reproductions as prints. I see it right here in River City. Big as bush! I can remember a buyer suing a painter back east for misrepresenting her work. The purchaser won.

For additional information about prints and reproductions, click on: http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa082.shtml

If you would like to view a larger image of this image, left click on the image above.

CIMARRON RIDGE COLORADO

2011-06-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

Normally, at this time of year, you wouldn't have enough snow on this ridge to enhance the sharp lines of the mountain. But this has been an unusual spring. The snow pack has increased to near-record depths and the winds have blown for three months straight with little or no letup. As I post this image, the wind gusts are rattling the roof again, and we are approaching the forty to fifty mile per hour level. It is quite evident that climate change is the norm rather than the exception.

I just received a note from an acquaintance who lives on the eastern side of Colorado, and he informed me that he has lived in that area of the state for thirty years and this is the most relentless wind he has experienced during those three decades. I was fortunate when I made these images. I only had to deal with a moderate breeze.

To view a larger image of the above, left click on your mouse.

SPRING GREEN ALONG THE CIMARRON RIDGE

2011-06-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this day trip was to capture a variety of scenic landscapes along the Cimarron Ridge in SW Colorado. The first image was posted yesterday shortly after returning from the high country.

I was specifically looking for what I refer to as "spring green." This is a lovely light transparent green that appears shortly after the new leaves start to fill out. This image is one of the best that I could capture along the route, and the dandelions added a touch of yellow to the surrounding shades of green. Normally we curse these flowers that show up in our yards, but in the wild they can be beautiful. The altitude here in the high meadow was about 8,500 feet and the foliage was lush.

The palette was spread out before me, and I was quick to take advantage of what Mother Nature had to offer.

To view a larger image, left click your mouse.

TRAIL TO THE CIMARRON RIDGE

2011-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

I just love those back roads that head off into the wilderness. This one was of particular interest because I taken it once before and found all manner of fine images waiting to be captured.

This road started off at about eight thousand feet and it headed straight toward the Cimarron Ridge in the distance. The trail does not look all that inviting when you first swing into it at the summit of a nearby pass, and to make matters even more interesting, there was a sign that read something like this. "This private road is maintained by local land owners. There is no guarantee that it will be open." That did not surprise me because I had traveled this road once before and swore, "Never Again." Today, it was in better shape.

We have a clay in this part of the country that is guaranteed to put a quick stop to your travels when the road is wet or even damp, and I first went through it shortly after the spring thaw. There was one spot which was totally destroyed by a landslide, but there was a set of tire tracks on top of the repaired section, so I carefully drove through it, but you dare not get too close to the shoulder because there was about a hundred foot drop on the driver's side awaiting the careless driver. Once you got past this obstacle, it was clear sailing. I made it through a second time with no problems.

Once you topped the ridge, the artist with a camera or a brush is well rewarded by this magnificent view of the high country and the Cimarron Ridge beyond. Many of the high-country meadows were literally covered with bright yellow flowers which were in their full glory.

To view a larger image, left click on the image above.

SPRING BLOOMER, Cactus, West Slope Colorado

2011-06-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

You don't have to go very far in this part of the country to find a prickly pear cactus, and because the wind was still blowing hard along the western slope, I decided to give myself an assignment which I used to give to students back east.

We have about two and a half acres which overlook the town of Montrose and the San Juans in the background, and most all of that land is arid desert. My self-imposed assignment this morning was to step out back and return with a presentable image of a flower. Actually, I did a little better than that, and I ended up with a nice clump with several flowers. I could have gone in much tighter, but the reds were so brilliant today that I elected to feature several in one frame along with the leaves and stickers.

You must watch your step up here along the bluff because if you don't have on a tough pair of hiking boots, you might end up with more than one thorn through the bottom of your boot. And many of the plants up here have thorns like fish hooks and the barbs do not come out easily. The pesky tumble weed is one of the worst, because it has small stickers all over it, and they thrive on this hill. They might have great visual appeal when viewed in western movies, but in reality, they are nasty plants that can get into everything.

I was driving back from New Mexico one windy day and just south of Denver on busy I-25, I spotted a large tumble weed heading across the desert toward me, and I was in heavy traffic and unable to slow down. I figured I would just run over the darn thing if it had me in it's sights, and that would be the end of the matter. Nope, that thing was every bit of three feet in diameter and it hit the front of my truck and was instantly dragged under the vehicle. I dragged it all the way through Denver and well on the way north toward Fort Collins before I found a good rest stop to pull off and pull the remains of it out. I could hear it dragging all the way up the Interstate. No damage to the truck, but it might have pulled something apart under a small car. They are a lot tougher than most people might think.

To view a larger image, left click on the above.

SPRING HAS ARRIVED IN COLORADO

2011-06-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

June 2011

I made this image last week while camping out near Ridgway, Colorado. The snow pack was heavy and the Cottonwoods were showing their spring green. Today, the weather has changed from spring to summer as temperatures are rapidly rising toward the nineties. Life is good here in Colorado with exquisite scenery spread out in all directions. You have the San Juan Range showing behind this weather vane to the south, plus an equally spectacular view of the Cimarron Range to my left.

Twenty miles to the north as the crow flies; you'll discover the Black Canyon of the Gunnison with more canyons to the west. This blog contains all of this and much much more. So enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer.

I used a tripod and a polarizing filter when making this image. That is pretty much a standard for me.

Enjoy a few of the thousands of images which I have made during the past sixty-five years. They are definitely not restricted to the state of Colorado.

Oh yes, if you would like to see a large image of the one shown above, left click on it with your mouse. The same applies for the rest of my photographs.

FALL COLOR ALONG THE WESTERN SLOPE

2011-05-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

Fall color arrives between the first and second week in October in the high country of southwest Colorado. It is the time to get out and drive the Forest Service roads into the San Juan and Cimarron Mountains. This image was made just south of Montrose with the San Juan Range towering in the background
Left click on the image above to see the larger version.

GUNNISON RIVER ENTERING BLACK CANYON, COLORADO

2011-05-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

This image was made near Cimarron, CO, and shows the Gunnison River entering the Black Canyon. The near vertical walls of the canyon tower to heights exceeding two thousand feet above the river below.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was designated a National Park during the Clinton administration.

By highway, the Park is about fifteen miles east of Montrose. As the crow flies, it is more like four.

FOOTHILLS OF THE APPALACHIANS

2011-05-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is the general area where Jack's documentary of the Mountain People and a fast disappearing way of life in the Appalachians began in 1969

TO VIEW A LARGER IMAGE, LEFT CLICK ON THE PHOTOGRAPH

THUNDERHEAD OVER MT SNEFFELS 2011

2011-05-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

AFTERNOON IN THE HIGH COUNTRY OF THE SAN JUAN'S

Mount Sneffels is located near Ridgway, Colorado, and this view might be obtained by taking a Forest Service road to about the nine thousand foot level.

From where we live, we can spot a number of fourteeners from our kitchen windows, and Mt. Sneffels is one of the more dominant peaks along the skyline.

This year the snow in the Colorado Rockies has been dramatic with a continual buildup of snow pack and little or no runoff because of cold weather and numerous storms coming across from the Pacific coast.

Rocky Mountain NP has been unable to open their Trail Ridge drive because of drifts exceeding twenty feet, and that means it will not be open during the Memorial Day weekend.

Even along the western slope, we are told that many of the forest service roads that I would normally take this time of year are still blocked by drifts at the higher altitudes.

The site where I made this exposure was open because it has been plowed numerous times to enable the home owners near the top of the ridge to come and go during the winter months.

WELCOME TO JACK JEFFERS' BLOG

2011-05-13T20:05:00.001-07:00

Contact: jack@jeffersfineart.com

YOU HAVE ENTERED MY "BLOG."

It took me a spell to get used to the word: BLOG!

I would prefer to call this documentary a log written in reverse. And did you know that blog spelled backward almost equals Glob? Now, isn't that interesting?

Joe Farace stated in his review for SHUTTERBUG MAGAZINE that my work is "old school." Heck, at age 77, I suppose I also qualify as "old school", or a leftover from the past century, but I'm still hanging in there and am always looking forward to the next field trip into the hinterlands.

I have posted a sampling of work that covers more than six decades and numerous portfolios. The Appalachian Portfolio is my largest, and this is where my fine art took root. There is also the Chesapeake, Shenandoah Valley and a sprinkling of images from my Public Information days at Radford University. Lastly, I cannot forget my western collections which are growing by leaps and bounds.

I held a variety of interesting positions over the years, including a ten-year stint as an advertising director for General Electric and later as a full-time working artist.

Trying to pick out more than a hundred images from a collection of several thousand was a major chore, so it was likely a good thing that I spent a good two years developing this project, because that gave me a chance to think about what image I would plug in tomorrow or the one I will make next month.

These images do not fall into any particular order, so be prepared for a healthy scattering of subject matter and a lot of short essays about the subject and how many of them evolved from concept to execution. I try to toss in a few helpful hints when they come to mind.

In 2005 I retired from film and printmaking, so there will be digital images mixed in with the rest of the lot.

I hope you make it to the older posts. Many of my finest images are at the tail end of this blog. Or, was it the beginning? I'm just not used to creating a book or any other presentation in reverse. Anyhow...

Enjoy

Jack Jeffers

MY FIRST CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPH circa 1947

2011-05-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

The seeds for this collection of photographs took root during the late nineteen forties when I was growing up in a small rural farming community in south-central Virginia.

That was our screened-in porch in the background with the old concrete pump stand immediately to my left. And I still recognize the two dippers hanging on the post to the right of my head.

The pump was a cast iron long-handle job; ancient by today's stardards. But occasionally, I still see one in a Forest Service campground; many of which have not been updated since the fifties.

Detecting my keen interest in drawing and sketching, my mother handed over her old Brownie box camera (she and dad were both teachers). For whatever reason, she felt that I might be interested in photography. The camera was an early-teens relic by Eastman Kodak, and I jokingly referred to the lens as a leftover chip from a broken pop bottle. I took to it like red clay on a pickup truck. Eventually, I wore it out. I can still remember the day the leather-covered back fell off. I must have been about thirteen.

From this camera came a stream of 120-roll film negatives, which I used for making contact prints in the mid-forties. I worked on moonless nights in the back corner of an old wood shed with several wax-lined trays, assorted odds and ends, and a bit of primitive chemistry. The safe light was a single red bulb dangling from a high ceiling rafter.

This hands-on experience was my introduction to what would later become my fine art photography. The only remaining image from this era is the self-portrait that was made about 1947. Note the string that is being held behind my back with my left hand and runs across the foreground in front of my feet. From there it cut through a forked stick in the ground and connected to the shutter lever of the camera. The camera was mounted on an old wooden tripod. This was, perhaps, my first creative image.

My interest in photography later became a passion and it spread from the nearby Blue Ridge to the Allegheny Highlands; then north and south through the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. From these experiences came my images and tales about how I photographed the last of the mountain people and documented a way of life that was rapidly disappearing from the rural byways of the Appalachians.

In 1997 my wife and I moved west to satisfy a boyhood dream, and my camera was again focused on new landscapes from our first home in Wyoming and then from our final destination along the western slope of Colorado.

As you observe my images and read about some of my many experiences which took place over a period of more than sixty years, you will see how my childhood and early back-woods environment molded me into an artist, helping me to develop the themes of my life and to follow the trail established decades earlier.

My purpose in life has been my art. That is my legacy and gift to society and to future generations. If you are an ardent admirer of rural beauty and grass roots America at her finest, this is a documentary that will never grow old. Enjoy some of that beauty and dignity that still exists in this old world. Sit back, relax and reminisce.

Jack Jeffers

ASPEN GROVE SINKS CANYON WY

2011-05-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

ASPEN GROVE IN SINKS CANYON NEAR LANDER, WYOMING ©1998

SILVER & OIL

Shortly after our move to Wyoming in 1997, I gravitated toward Mixed Media. I had practiced with oil paints back in Virginia, but I felt that the subject matter did not lend itself to transparent oils. However, the western landscape was a natural, and I made a series of hand-colored images. This was one of the first.

TO VIEW A LARGER IMAGE LEFT CLICK ON THE IMAGE. THIS APPLIES TO ALL IMAGES. THEN CLICK ON THE RETURN ARROW, UPPER LEFT CORNER OF MONITOR SCREEN.

PINE TREE ARCH UTAH 1999

2011-05-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

SILVER & OIL

SPLIT ROCK WYOMING 1998

2011-05-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

SPLIT ROCK WYOMING ©1998
SILVER & OIL

This was one of my favorite rock studies because of the natural design and the boulder lead-in to the pinion pine in the background.

I revisited this spot last October (2010) and worked it over again with digital. The pine was reduced to a lot of broken pieces and the scene simply was not worth a second image.

A lightning strike may have put an end to the Pinion Pine. That happens frequently in this part of the country at the higher altitudes.

JACK JEFFERS; MONUMENT DRAW WY 1997 SILVER & OIL

2011-05-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

MONUMENT DRAW
WYOMING OUTBACK ©1997
SILVER & OIL

We had not been in Wyoming very long before a local photographer offered to take me out to Monument Draw. He was what I would call a camera buff but very much interested in photography.

It's a good thing I went with him because it was definitely a four-wheel drive trip. The ride alone was worth the time, but when we got to the monuments I could hardly get my 2 1/4 out of the pack fast enough. The view of the Wind River Range in the background was stunning. But the erosional feature was the first of it's kind that I had ever seen.

The lighting was perfect and the sky was made for the scene. If you look closely, you will spot my guide in the background focusing his 4 x 5 in view camera. This silver image was the perfect candidate for oils. So, between the toning of the print and the layers of transparent oils, this trip turned out to be a winner. And that is what art is all about.

DESERT TRAIL WYOMING 2001

2011-05-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

DESERT TRAIL ©2001
WYOMING OUTBACK ALONG BEAVER RIM.

This high 7,000 ft escarpment is located in central Wyoming, south of Riverton and is just one more fantastic area for an artist to explore.

This landscape has all the elements for a nice photograph and you have the trail as a lead-in for the eye. That is Dishpan Butte in the distance with a dark polarized sky in the background.

I also made a color image, but in my opinion, the toned silver image is far superior.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK UTAH 2008

2011-05-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

This is a digital image that was converted from color to black and white. You cannot go wrong in this park if the lighting and sky are working for you, In this case, the polarized filter helped to darken the sky to the point where I had a well balanced image.

Moab is one of our favorite areas to visit.

To view a larger image, left click on the above photograph

COLUMBINE COLORADO STATE FLOWER 2010

2011-05-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

COLUMBINE

COLORADO STATE FLOWER 2010

While I enjoy photographing flowers, I do not consider it to be my major forte when it comes to photography.

The major problem here in Colorado is the wind. If you have ever tried to capture a flower in a slight breeze you have likely experienced dispointment because you must often woek with a slow shudder speed in order to get the depth of fleld necessary. The columbine is found at high altitudes here in Colorado and there is often a movement of air.

I use an 18-200 mm lens because it gives me all the range I need, and I do not ever have to make a lens change. Dust on a digital sensor can cause major frustrations and the idea is to keep that sensor clean.

On this particular day, the breeze was intermittant, so I was able to capture this image rather easily, and I had a nice background that was dark enough to show detail while allowing the light flower to stand out on its own. The aspen tree immediately behind the flower was in just the right place.

With the zoom lens, I was able to set up my camera and tripod several paces back and frame the scene exactly the way I wanted it. After getting all the elements just the way I invisioned them, I used the ten second delay timer to do it's thing. I often use the timer because it will help reduce any slight vibration that might occur from having your finger on the release button.

Toward the end of this Blog, I show one more flower from back east. It is a bloodroot along the Blue Ridge Mountains and just off the Appalachian Trail. I had a group of photographers from the Camera Club of Richmond out on a field trip back in the early seventies and one of the demonstrations I gave was how to build a background for flowers without damaging the plant. You may enjoy the story behind that scene. I hate to see flowers that have been trampled on or otherwise damaged by careless hikers.

NATURE'S ABSTRACT - COLORADO 2008

2011-05-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is view of the adobe hills near Montrose, Colorado.

On this trip, I was working with abstract designs and color patterns, and I found this site to be of great interest.

The same exact scene works equally well in black and white.

OLD JUNIPER TRUNKS COLORADO 2010

2011-05-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

In this dry west-Colorado climate, you can stumble across a lot of interesting dead wood. This happens to be a couple of old Juniper trunks which have survived for decades. No telling how old the trees were before they died, but they caught my eye and I always have this gut feeling about design & composition.

If it looks good at first glance, chances are there's a good image lurking within the mass of old limbs and dead wood. I had this one figured out before I set up the tripod and camera.

There is one thing about being an artist that some people never get. You must practice and develope a feeling for what might look good and what may not. After a spell, you just listen to your gut. Perhaps the biggest mistake people often make with their photography is including too much in one image. Keep it simple and concentrate on what's in your direct field of vision.

I included a lot in this image, but it hangs together as a lovely abstract. I find it to be visually attractive. I went for maximum detail on this old wood, and I used a setting of about 1/25 at f18. And with a telephoto lens, I was able to set up several paces away from the subject and pull out what I mentally envisioned with the telephoto set at about 135mm. I also toned it just a pinch.

ADOBE HILL NEAR DELTA COLORADO 2010

2011-05-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

This area of Colorado near Delta offers the artist all manner of stunning erosional features, and because of the varied shapes and sizes you can work in either color or black and white.

I chose black and white for this image and toned it just slightly. When I used to print from negatives I always used a sepia toner which combined sulfur with the silver and you could vary the degree of toning depending on your on personal feeling at a given time. Since this was a digital image, I worked with the three primary colors and tweaked it just a little bit. It was just enough to give it a feeling of warmth and I personally like that feeling.

The time of day to visit this area is important. You need strong shadows to give the finished image a strong abstract appearance. And I would strongly recommend fall or early spring because it can get unbearably hot during the summer months. About nine to eleven during the morning is my preference because at this time of year, the sun is already pretty low to the horizon. To me, this is one of those little gems which are scattered around Colorado.

Jack Jeffers explores COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT 2008

2011-05-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Colorado National Monument is located just a few miles west of Grand Junction and geologically, it is part of the Colorado Plateau.

This is an easy day trip, and I felt that a touch of snow would liven the image up a bit. The red rock against the snow did, indeed, improve the photograph.

This thirty-five mile route through the Monument is always a rare treat, and it reminds me, in many ways, of Canyonlands and Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. A tripod and a polarizing filter are highly recommended.

Before taking a field trip such as this, I always check out the area on Google Earth. By using this program, you can fly through the area and get a pretty good feel for the lay of the land in three dimensions. I strongly recommend it as a time and gas saver on long day trips. .

COTTONWOOD GROVE SW COLORADO 2008

2011-05-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Jack Jeffers - ASPEN GROVE COLORADO 2010

2011-05-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

LAST DOLLAR ROAD NEAR THE SAN JUAN RANGE

This view of the aspen grove was made at the nine thousand foot level and all of the elements are in place. You have a nice foreground, middle ground and a striking background of dark blue sky.

The sky at high altitudes is darker than it is at lower levels, but I felt that the sky in this image could use a little extra darkening so on with the polarizer.

Notice the spacing of the dark brown patches of vegetation in the foreground. This adds another little touch to the composition.The finished image is about as close to being a perfect photograph as you can get, and I have always heard the experts say that there is no such thing as a perfect image. Well...that just depends on who is judging the finished image.

When I made the shift from film to digital, the actual process came naturally because I already knew the basics of the medium. What hung me up initially was learning how to use the computer. And then there was the processing program. I struggled with the computer for several months before I was comfortable with it.

I ended up purchasing Microsoft Digital Image 2006, and it was quite easy to walk my way through the various programs. A computer expert in the area recommended it as a great "starter" program. Heck, I am still using it five years later because it has everything I need plus more. It took me less than a day to figure out how to use most the various functions, and my philosophy has always been to keep it simple. And that applies to fine art work as well.

An engineering friend kept telling me how great Photoshop was, and that all the serious photographers used it. So, one day I broke down and dropped a hundred dollar bill on the counter and went home with Photoshop Elements 5. After one solid week of absolute total frustration, I took that program out of my computer and put the Microsoft back in. Enough was enough. I just wanted a simple program that had everything I needed. Nothing fancy!

As for RAW, I use the Nikon Picture Project 1.7. It too, is simple and easy to follow, and there are a few processing tools available for the user on page one. The Nikon program then channels your images directly into the Microsoft program with the conversion to tiff or jpeg already made. The simpler it is, the better I like it, and the results that I have obtained during the past few years vouch for the end results.

My objective was to obtain stock-art quality for the agency that handles my work, and my computer programs meet their quality standards.

I am from the old school, and I like to get the exposures right the first time. So why mess with Mother Nature. I have become a bit spoiled by the simplicity and accessability of the tools on my Microsoft program.cc

FALL COLOR IN THE ADOBE HILLS SW COLORADO

2011-05-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

2008

When fall arrives in Montrose, CO, I am always ready to head out to the adobe hills. It offers all manner of photographic posibilities, and I am only two or three miles away by road.

This is a digital image of an old cottonwood tree and the clouds moved in and solved the blank sky problem. All the elements fell into place, and I returned home with some real nice color.

As you progress into my blog, you will discover many more images showing the stunning fall color in the San Juan Range to the south of us, and the Cimarron Range to the east.

Don't forget to left click on the image. It will bring up a larger and sharper one.

Jack Jeffers - THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP 1970

2011-05-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

The previous entry featured my daughter Hilary. This one will feature my son John.

Backpacking and canoeing used to be my primary activities and this trip to Lake Drummond went into the books as one of our best. Lake Drummond is located right dead center in the Dismal Swamp, and the ideal time to take a canoe trip into such a place is during the late fall when the leaves are changing and the mornings are crisp and comfortable. I have always had a difficult time with high temperatures and humidity, and that is one of the reasons I headed west following my early retirement.

Finding a dry place to camp in the swamp is always a bit of a problem, but we managed to find a spot to pitch our tent. I often slept in my old kayak when taking long trips with the Boy Scouts, but this time we roughed it on dry leaves and soft ground with a light plastic tarp to keep us dry. In those days my camera pack was fairly light and the kayak was the perfect means for maneuvering into places to make exposures.

This image of John just sorta happened. As I recall, fishing was poor to nil in that lake, but we gave it a try. We did catch a few perch along the entry canal and that provided us with at least one nice meal. John was standing out on that log along about dinner time and I could not resist making several exposures on a roll of Kodachrome. This was my choice of the lot, and that transparency is as good today as it was forty years ago.

Adventures such as this stick in your mind, and the image brings back fond memories from the old days.

I can remember another camping trip to Buggs Ialand Lake near Clarksville, VA, shortly after the lake was completed. I was crusing along with a double bladed paddle when I spotted a pretty good size snake out near the middle of the upper lake. At my present pace, we would likely come pretty close to one another. I pushed it a little harder just to see the critter a little better and I got to the crossing point first. That blasted snake darn near jumped into the kayak with me. He literally made a jump to get over the kayak, and I quickly pushed it off with the blade of the paddle. I never could tell exactly what kind of snake it was. It could have been a water snake or quite possibly a cotton mouth. They are both short tempered. I have heard that the cottonmouth might range inland that far, but who knows. It was another memorable moment on a beautiful trip up the lake.

To view a larger image, left click on the photograph

OLD RAG MOUNTAIN 1972

2011-05-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

WHAT CONSTITUTES A FAVORITE?

In this case, the young girl sitting on a rock atop Old Rag Mountain turns this image into one of my most memorable.

The Skyline Drive weaves its way through the Shenandoah National Park in the background.

The youngster is my daughter and she must be about seven or eight, I would guess. She joined me on this day trip, and with walking sticks in hand, we hiked to the top of this beautiful mountain in northern Virginia. Hilary even had her small back pack, and I carried my old Yashica Mat two and a quarter camera. This was my first 2 1/4 camera, and it provided me with the art to produce my first book.

This image later appeared on the front cover of National Parks and Conservation Magazine. I believe that was the name at the time. It just seems like a long time ago. The edition of fifty originals sold out rapidly during several of my early art shows. It was an image that people could relate to.

In 1973, I published WINDOWS TO THE BLUE RIDGE, and the Washington Post picked up the story and ran a major feature on my documentary of the mountain people. That article resulted in a sell-out of the first four thousand books in one week. I then followed with a reprint of five thousand copies which lasted for about a year. I did not pay one thin dime for advertising. I had approached several publishers about taking on the project, but they all told me that a regional book like this would never sell. Well....go figure!

I recently noted that some of these early books are showing up on the Internet in used book stores.

To view a larger image of the above, left click on the image.

JACK JEFFERS MAJOR DONATION TO ASU

2011-05-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

MOUNTAIN MAN

Mountain Man is one of over six hundred original silver prints that were recently donated to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

This is the largest donation that I have ever made, and it represents the core of my Appalachian Project which covered a period of nearly forty years.

The objective was to keep the collection intact so that it could be enjoyed by future generations who will appreciate a documentary of bygone days throughout the Appalachians. The collection is noted for both it's historic and artistic merit.

It was a tough decision, but I chose ASU because of its location and their established programs relating to the Appalachian area as a whole.

The image of Mountain Man took one of the most satisfying awards of my career. It was the first fine art photograph to take a best in show in a multi-media art show. It happened in 1972, and I had to take on the art league single handed before they would allow what they considered an "unacceptable medium" to stand beside painters, sculptors and other media.

This win dramatically raised the acceptance level of fine art photography, but for me personally, it became a cause that supported my belief that a photograph was as much a work of fine art as other media.

Over the years, I continued to put my art where my mouth was, and I took many more best in shows before retiring from printmaking in 2005.

I was also one of the first fine art photographs to number my originals. Each image was signed, numbered and documented by me personally.

To view a larger image of Mountain Man, left click on the above image.

JACK JEFFERS, IS IT ART? ©2001

2011-04-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

IS IT ART?

An Opinion

I wrote this short essay back in 2001 following a controversy in a well-read art magazine. This was in answer to the controversy that resulted from one of the magazine's covers, disliked by many readers, one of whom described it as "a swirl of green vomit." An established artist wrote that it was "outright garbage." Another, that it was "anything but art." Many readers questioned whether it was "good" art or "bad" art. On balance, opinion was about evenly divided between whether it was or wasn't art at all.

On the heels of this controversy came the Brooklyn Museum exhibition of British art, which included items that caught the attention of national news media when New York Mayor Rudy Giuilliani threatened to cut off the museum's funding. The storm focused on two pieces: A "painting" of the Virgin Mary smeared with elephant dung, and a collage of "private parts." Other "works of art" included dissected animals in formaldehyde and a sympathetic portrait of a murderer of children.

Several months later, the showing of a photograph at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts raised a stink. It was a graphic image of children urinating.

A year earlier, a prestigious New York auction house offered "major collectibles" that included freestanding toilets. Adulatory press reviews resulted in a sell-out.

The showing of Apocalypse at the Royal Academy of Arts in London was described by The Times of London as art that "belongs in a horror show." The exhibits include children's toys made out of excrement and the image of a dead Pope. The offerings are no less disturbing.

On February 16,2001 we had another "shock art" show at the Brooklyn Museum of fine art. People flocked to view this latest hit.

As a working artist, I have followed art trends for thirty years. I long since concluded that sensationalism has triumphed over decency.

In New York's Museum of Modern Art, I viewed the infamous Piss Christ, a crucifix half-submerged in a bowl of urine. At the other end of vacuity, there was a blank canvas. (A portrait, perhaps, of the artist's mind.)

Before that, we were treated to Mapplethorpe's photographs of penises, scrotums, and the acts of sodomy. One wonders, from what lunatic asylum did their buyers escape?

When I approached the director of the gallery displaying Mapplethorpe and showed him my portfolio, his exact words were: "Hey, man! What we want in New York is sex. Your stuff is old-fashioned and out-of-date." I cheerfully concede the point. Where is the line between "freedom of expression" and decency? Do museum directors erase it when they display as art what most of us consider obscene? Women as well as men lace conversation with such words as f_ck and sh_t. Do art museums reflect, or contribute to, indecency?

The National Endowment for the Arts, promoter of obscenity more than opera, clamors for tax dollars. Perhaps a public, which sanctions Piss Christ and a painting of the Virgin Mary smeared with dung, should pay up and shut up.

Asked what I think about such exhibitions, my reply is this:Is it art? The answer depends on your response to it, provided you can ignore the "critics." If you think its garbage, then it's garbage. Never mind the arbitrators of "artistic taste."

Book reviewers extol books (they are usually authors themselves, who expect reciprocal adulation), but the buying public makes a best seller. A critic may like or not like a play. The audience makes it a flop or a hit.

Graphic art is different. The museum or gallery director is the sole arbitrator. Whether "art" or not, it has the imprimatur of the "expert," and viewers must like it, or pretend to, lest they look foolish.

With marble floors and marble walls, with light emanating from above, museums are taken for temples. Whatever hangs on their walls or stands on their pedestals must therefore be art.

Or is it?

Jack Jeffers

JACK JEFFERS: TWO RARE BOOKS

2011-03-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

TWO OF JEFFERS' BOOKS HAVE BECOME COLLECTIBLES.
Recently, while browsing through the Internet, I happened to check out Amazon.com and stumbled across a copy of APPALACHIAN IMAGES which was published by the Radford University Art Museum back in 2005. The book contains about a hundred images, including a sampling from my more recent Western Portfolio.

A short introduction about the collection was written by Richard A. Straw, Department of History, Radford University.

Only a couple hundred copies were printed and they went on sale during the opening of an exhibition at the university art gallery in 2006 featuring a collection of Jeffers' silver prints.

After noting a used-book price of $129, and a second copy for $142, it became evident that this book is now fetching rare book prices. I had carefully put a few of the remaining books aside following the exhibition, and at this point, I will offer the few remaining copies for $55 each plus five dollars to cover shipping. They have all been signed by the artist.

While I was making the search, I decided to type in APPALACHIAN BYWAYS by Jack Jeffers. Up came another list of copies of my second book which was published in 1984. They had also found their way into a number of book stores specializing in used and new books. Most of the five thousand copies had quickly sold out, but again, I put several boxes aside for future sales.

Heck, I'm not getting any younger, so I am now offering what is left of this printing for fifty dollars per book, and again, I have autographed them all. Five bucks will cover the postage. Each of these books is in mint condition.
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Order from info@jeffersfineart.com

To view a larger image of the two rare books click the image with left side of the mouse.

TREE LINE

2011-02-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

Tree Line 2011

This image was made following a light snow and a touch of fog which eliminated the background distractions.

Note that this is a black and white image which is far superior to the color image from the exact same spot. Ah, the joy of black and white. In this case, color serves no constructive purpose.

I had spotted this image, just a half mile south of Montrose, Colorado, and every time we headed south, I took this site in as a "must do." The concept was overwhelmingly clear, and demanded that a capture would have to be made with specific weather conditions.

In my mind, I pictured a light snow with a washed-out background which would rid the image of the housing development which clearly stood out behind the trees. This concept had been on my hit list for a good two years, and when we started our day, I immediately knew what I had to do, so I headed out to make the capture before the fog and snow dissipated. Well, the snow had let up, but the fog in the background remained, and here is a prime example of pre-visualization at it's best.

To view the image in a larger format, left click on the image.

CIMARRON RANGE ©2010

2010-11-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

STORM OVER THE CIMARRONS

The first winter storm of the season was moving in as I made this exposure from a location near Ridgway, CO.

To view a larger image, left click on the image.

LAST COLOR BEFORE THE STORM ©2010

2010-10-25T11:51:00.001-07:00

This image was made several days ago while camping near the San Juan's to the south. I had photographed this landscape several weeks earlier, but the color was just starting to show. This time it was just over the top, but still quite striking.

I just managed to complete my image before a storm front moved in over the mountains to the south, and it dumped several inches of fresh snow on the San Juan's that night.

This is a classic example of an S-curve which leads the viewer's eye into the image.

To view a larger images, left click on the photograph with your mouse.

THE REAL MOUNTAINS ©2010

2010-10-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

We were camping up near this area last week and I made several short trips into the lower San Juan's. There is fresh snow on the mountains which fell during the previous night.

These are the real mountains and there are at least two in the background which are over fourteen thousand feet. They call these "fourteeners" out here, and there are people who try to climb them all. One fellow fell to his death this past summer and I am told that it has become a regular occurrence. Falls and rock slides cause most of the deaths. Don't let anyone tell you that these are easy climbs.

This looked like an interesting image waiting to be captured, so it joined my collection of Colorado landscapes.

To see a larger view, left click on the image.

CANYON TRAIL ©2010

2010-10-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Escalante Canyon is located thirty miles north of Montrose, CO and it makes for a great day trip.

In our opinion, this canyon is about as close as you can get to Canyonlands NP on a small-scale basis. The red-rock cliffs can tower several hundred feet above you, and the red sandstone is just as bright here as anywhere else across the Colorado Plateau.

The purpose of my day trip was to photograph cottonwood trees in full color and the adventure produced great results. The image that was posted yesterday on the following entry is wall-to-wall color. But it is tough to beat the yellow cottonwood standing next to a towering red cliff.

Left click on the mouse to enlarge the above image.

WALL-TO-WALL COLOR ©2010

2010-10-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I took a trip up to Escalante Canyon. The cottonwoods were in full color and the lighting was perfect. It was a bright cloudy day with back lighting. You must left click on the image to even come close to experiencing what I captured here.

Behind this thicket of small trees was a bright red vertical cliff of sandstone which added to the tone of the image you see here.

This was a wonderful fall, and I managed to capture it at many levels, from nine thousand feet to about four thousand here at the bottom of the canyon. One could spend about a month moving from one elevation level to another to capture these images. As the aspens ran their course, the cottonwoods began their round.

-Left click on image to enjoy a larger view of the cottonwood forest.

CHANGING OF THE COLOR ©2010

2010-10-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

This image was made at about the eight thousand foot level of the Cimarron Range in SW Colorado.

I spotted the concept immediately and went to work. I used the cattails and other foilage in the foreground for starters and then concentrated on the reflections and the bright yellow aspens in the background. It all framed up nicely, and then I waited for a few minutes for the ripples on the pond to settle down a bit, and once all the elements were in place, I made my exposure.

Oh yes, I almost always use a polarizing filter to cut down on unwanted reflections. Notice, I said unwanted, not wanted. The reflections in the pond were just perfect; yet controlled. I also waited for some of the fast-moving clouds to pass over the area to allow direct sunlight to fall directly on the aspens.

If you would like to view a larger image, left click on the photograph.

BUTTE AT TWIN CREEK, WY ©2000

2010-09-08T12:23:00.001-07:00

Twin-creek Butte would be considered Mixed Media because it is both a silver print and a painting.

Hand coloring with transparent oils goes way back to the early days of photography. I used this technique shortly after moving to Wyoming in 1997, but I only applied oil to several images. It lends itself to western images in particular, because of the varied earth colors found in so many western landscapes.

This winter scene was one of my favorites before I retired from printmaking in 2005.

To view a larger images left click on the mouse.

GREEN THINGS IN THE BADLANDS

2010-09-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

ADOBE HILLS NEAR MONTROSE-

--I took a drive the other day through the nearby hills and did some exploring in a new area. I thought there was little else out there but juniper, creosote bush and the usual desert plants.

I took a questionable looking two track and ended up in this green valley below the vermilion cliffs in the background. What a great place for a short hike and a couple of nice images. Needless to say, I will be going back shortly for some more exploring before winter sets in.

Our dog Jake had a ball exploring the thickets and sniffing out the area. No people or vehicles to worry about.

To view a larger image, click on the photograph above

B&W MAGAZINE Special Issue August 2010

2010-07-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Award Winning Portfolio

Last fall I told my wife that I was going to toss thirty bucks down the tube in the good name of photography. B&W was having a portfolio contest and just for the heck of it, I decided to submit several of my Appalachian images of the mountain people, plus several other interesting character studies.

About two months ago, I received an e-mail from the editors informing me that I was a winner and several of my images would be published in the forthcoming issue.

In the meantime, I made a quick calculation to see just how much money the magazine was making off the photographers. Thirty thousand dollars is a good round number based on the number of submissions. These folks do very well. If you have noticed lately, quite a few photography and multi media magazines have leaned in this direction. Heck, everyone wants to get published so there is a captive audience. But the only money makers are the promoters.

I was also curious to know just how many inquiries I might get since this was touted in the prospectus as a major plus. The answer to that is zero. Not surprising. I also did something else which was a last-minute decision, and that was to include one comic image which would most likely result in a negative reaction on the part of the "judges".

June arrived and I shelled out twelve bucks for a copy, and lo and behold, there were three of my images. Two were from the primary submissions and the third and full-page featured image was of my comic image of an old Blue Ridge out house. The out house was my way of giving the judges the old proverbial finger, and for whatever reason, they fell for my joke and obviously thought it was great. The print job in the magazine was terrible but that is likely because of the way the magazine copies were mass produced.

I have not entered a photography competition in decades and this will be the last. I have entered many multi-media competitions where I pitted my work against painters, sculptors, mixed media and so on, and I have a winning track record. In general, the judges in such shows were first rate.

Notice that I did not include the privy in this blog, but if anyone would like to view the old weathered Jonnie, just let me know via e-mail and I will share it with you. jack@jeffersfineart.com

FOREST SCENE, BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS 1978

2010-03-22T07:20:00.001-07:00

Dogwood Tree in Forest 1978

My legacy is my toned black and white silver prints.

However, I often had a second camera with me which was loaded with 120 Ektachrome roll film. During the seventies and eighties, many of these images found their way into Annual Reports and other commercial publications. For over thirty years these images have remained in dark storage for later use.

In 2009 I converted many of my favorite color images to digital and completed my final book: From the Blue Ridge to the Shenandoah Valley and Beyond. This publication spans a period of nearly fifty years and includes numerous essays about the images and how they were made. More about this later. Presently, I am searching for a good publisher.

Left click on image for larger presentation.

JACK JEFFERS WITH TWO ORIGINAL SILVER PRINTS

2010-02-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

Jack with two original silver sulfide originals circa 1980

People who have purchased or admired Jack's work have often commented about his unique presentation style.
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If you will look closely (click on image to enlarge) you will notice that Jack uses two or three outside bevel-cut mats that are mounted to a full cut back mat, but what is totally different about his mounting is that the original, including the mounting board, is also cut at a bevel and laminated to the bottom mat which makes up the back of the presentation.
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Jack refers to this as his three dimensional mounting technique and the reason he started doing this early on was because he did not want his early mats to come in contact with the print. Even though he later switched over to four-ply rag backing, he continued to use this early matting technique.

2010-02-06T06:15:00.001-08:00

WINTER LANE

From the Appalachian Collection

This is a prime example of pre-visualization.

I spotted these trees during the summer months of 1978 and returned the following winter to make this image with the addition of a fresh snowfall.

Without the snow to bring out the abstract design of the trees and trail, the image is simply a jumble of trees and bushes.

When giving lectures to art groups back in the seventies and eighties, I would often use this image preceded by a second image made during the summer months from the same spot to illustrate how pre-visualization worked. I was always surprised at how many people failed to spot the basic concept until I flashed this image on the screen.

Winter lane was made in central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

To view a larger image, left click on the lane.

2010-01-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

It was early evening when I made this image from mile post one along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western Virginia.

This was what some would call a "grab shot." I just happened to be driving along the ridge for the pure joy of being atop the mountain. As usual, my camera pack was in the back seat so the rest of the story is history. The view over Rockfish Valley to the east was well worth the stop.

To view a larger image, left click on the clouds.

2010-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

This image was made along a back road in West Augusta County, Virginia in 1975.

The photograph was converted from a 2 1/4 " Ektachrome transparency to digital in 2009 as part of a major project to preserve a large collection of Shenandoah Valley images in color.

Many of my vintage color images, such as the one you see here, may be seen in my new book following publication.

To view a larger image, left click on the image above.

HIGHTOWN ©1980

2010-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

A SILVER PRINT FROM THE JEFFERS' COLLECTION

You are looking down at Hightown from Monterey Mountain. Villages are small and quaint in this NW corner of Virginia and when winter sets in it can be windy and very cold. This was such a day, and I had to hold the tripod down to keep the whole thing from blowing over.

What you see here is a mirror image and I had a number of people ask me about this original at art exhibitions because they recognized the scene. "Something is wrong" they would say. "This photograph doesn't look right." And I would tell them that I reversed the negative because I preferred the mirror image to the original view. To make the story sound more realistic, I would say that this is what you see in your rear view mirror as you drove away from the scene. And this is true. I have flipped many negatives to improve the lead-in and overall composition.

This is also a prime example of why I use snow as a means of covering up distractions. The image becomes an abstract in design. All of the bad stuff that you do not want to show up on the original image is buried under a foot of clean snow. And I make it a point to be on site before the snow is disturbed.

-To view a larger image left click on the original.

2010-01-05T07:24:00.001-08:00

VIRGINIA'S LITTLE SWITZERLAND

Highland Lane was made in the extreme northwest corner of Virginia following a snow storm.

Note the split rail fences on either side of the lane.

During the first few decades of the last century, the forests were thick with giant chestnut trees but a blight ravaged the forests and by the late nineteen thirties entire stands of this majestic tree had been wiped out. To this day, the only reminder of the American Chestnuts are a few old stumps and partially covered log shells which are randomly scattered along the wooded ridges of the Appalachians.

On one of my earlier posts, I used a knot hole from an old Chestnut log to frame a blood root--a harbinger of spring along the Appalachians. It was posted on July 3, 2009. It is a lovely example of a piece of aged American Chestnut.

Because of the straight grain and durability of the wood, this tree was commonly used by the early settlers for building log homes and outbuildings. The split rail fences you see here could easily be close to a hundred years old. The tree shown to the left is one of the many sugar maples which are quite common throughout Highland County.

To view a larger image left click on image above.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY ABSTRACT 1977

2009-12-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

Nature's Abstract in fresh snow. Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

This was an S curve staring me in the face. I could not pass it by without exposing a couple of negatives.

To view larger image, click on weeds.

2009-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

TURNER'S MILL 1974

This is one of several old grist mills I documented during my early years as an artist. This one was located just west of Harrisonburg, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley.

Mr Turner was still actively operating the old mill at the time and I eventually lost track of him and his hobby. I checked with the local paper in that area several years ago to learn whether the mill was still there but no one could provide me with any information. I assume that it became history a few years following my visit.

To view a larger image, left click on the image

2009-12-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

This magnificent red sandstone canyon is located about twenty miles south of Lander, WY.

To view a larger image left click on the canyon. To see more images click on Older Posts below. And keep going because there are a lot of them.

2009-12-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

INTERIOR OF AN OLD WATER MILL

This still life is exactly how I found it. The lighting from an old open window provided me with the exact lighting I required. It is still one of my favorite still lifes.

To view this image in a larger format, left click on the image.

FIRST TWO POINTS OF THE GAME circa 1988

2009-12-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

First goal of the game.
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Radford University versus NC State.
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I have never considered myself to be a sports photographer, but I did capture a few decent images during my term at RU.

This was a big game and highly touted. Little RU taking on one of the top teams in the country. I won't say who won, but RU made the first score of the game and the crowd went wild. I had my camera set up on a tripod overlooking the arena and although I certainly did not expect what happened next, my finger pressed the shutter release real quick. I dislike motor drives, but I did make several rapid exposures and this is the one I liked best. Normally it is the first exposure that nails the image you anticipate. You will see more of this on my blog.
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This was the decisive moment and I was ready.

To view a larger size image, click with left button

2009-12-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

EARLY SETTLERS GRAVE SITE NEAR SOUTH PASS CITY, WY

When Henry Reedall struck pay dirt in 1867, one of the most god-forsaken areas in the country suddenly sprang into a boomtown. The mere mention of the word gold did crazy things to people and hordes of outsiders descended on South Pass from the nearby Oregon Trail. They all had dreams of getting rich quick, but only a few of the lucky ones were successful.

It only took three years for the town to go from boom to bust. South Pass City became a ghost town almost overnight.

One noteworthy historical fact emerged from this rough and ready frontier town. A saloonkeeper by the name of William Bright wrote and introduced a woman’s suffrage bill. The bill passed and the Governor signed it into history in December 1869. Wyoming became the first territory to allow women to vote and hold office. Esther Morris, a resident of South Pass City, was appointed justice of the peace in February 1870 making her the nation’s first female judge. She tried twenty-six cases.

There are still a few die-hard miners and prospectors who are either panning or digging for the illusive mother lode that always lay just beyond their grasp. Just like the ghosts that reportedly inhabit old South Pass City, the yellow gold is also lurking in some remote draw or beyond the next butte.
GRAVE SITE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SOUTH PASS CITY

A notation on the head stones reads:
In memory of Earnest Williams
Born in California 1901
Died in Atlantic City 1905
Son of EJ & AP Williams

Ma Belr
Born Tuscarora, NV September 1880
Died November 9,1899
Daughter of AP & EJ Williams

To view more of Jack's work click on OLDER POSTS at the bottom of the page.

CLASSICAL GUITARIST 1986

2009-11-30T06:32:00.000-08:00

CLASSICAL GUITAR

One of my most enjoyable one-on-one portrait sessions was when I was working for Radford University back in SW Virginia.

It has been my experience that most artists and performers were usually easy to work with and this results in an enjoyable session. In addition, I savored every moment of listening to this well known musician as he played selections from various classical themes

I used two reflector umbrellas for this session with each being placed at different points to provide the lighting I needed.

The only musician I ever had trouble with was Steve Allen and that was because he had requested that any photographs would be made strictly to his specifications. He thought he had a bad side and a good side and from a certain angle, but that is open for debate.

Most of the younger generation probably would not recognize these people but in my day they were top performers. Heck, I still remember listening to Jack Benny on a vacuum tube radio.

To view a larger image of Carlos, left click on the image. To View more imges and stories, click on OLDER POSTS below.

2009-11-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

SHAY LOCOMOTIVE AT CASS, W VA

In a much earlier post, I featured an image of locomotive #5 while undergoing a boiler check. It was during that same trip to West Virginia that I was fortunate enough to make an image of #2 taking on water. This locomotive was built in 1928.

As a rule I do not make many fine art images during the course of a day trip, but this outing produced several fine originals.

To view a larger image left click on the water tank.

2009-11-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

TYPICAL WOOD SHINGLES ON AN EARLY MOUNTAIN CABIN

After posting the image of the Cash family cabin in the previous post, I decided to show the reader a close-up view of what such a roof looked like and why they need fairly regular upkeep.

When a shingle roof gets to this point, the entire roof will soon fail and cave in. And it dosn't take but a few years for the remainter of the house to self-destruct from rain, snow and wind.

For a more detailed view, left click on the image above.

2009-11-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

CASH FAMILY HOMESTEAD

This old home place for a mountain family no longer exists. Over the years, it has been reduced to a pile of decayed rubble, thanks to the elements.

When this image was made in 1972, it was a perfect example of a historical settler's cabin. The roof was made of split chestnut shingles and the outside structure consisted of hand-hewed logs from the surrounding forest.

From what Cyrus told me, they had built this structure around the turn of the last century and lived in it unti the late sixties before they moved to another nearby cabin. For more information about the mountain people go to my web site at http://www.jeffersfineart.com/ where an article titled, Mountain People is posted.

For a larger image of the Cash cabin, click on the above photograph.

2009-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Sherando Barn
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This image was the result of previsualizaton and being in the right spot at the right time.

When I lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I was right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and as you will see, if you follow my blog, I made good use of the subject matter.

I had driven by this old barn many times on my way to and from the mountains. In fact, it was within a half mile of my home. The concept was formulated over a period of time because it was a pretty little shack but the foreground and background were littered with distractions. My feeling was that a good snow would solve my problem, and living so close by, all I would have to do is head down the road during the first snow. And that is exactly how it happened.

This is a case where I used a clear plastic bag over the camera and when the moment was right I would jerk the bag off and make my exposure. I made several exposures just to be on the safe side and this one shows the snow blowing in from the left which is where I figured it would come from. This white stuff completed my concept.

This edition sold out quite fast and was copied by more than one painter. They never seem to learn that photographs are copyrighted and to paint and market the image as their own is against the law and carries a pretty stiff penalty. Toward the end of my blog you will see a good example of a copyright infringement and the painter paid dearly for it after I saw her image published in SOUTHWEST ART MAGAZINE.

To view a larger image left click on the barn.

2009-11-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

This image represents one of my early prints from the old cabin series. It is hard to believe that I made this print thirty-eight years ago, and I had to hike up the side of the mountain from the North Fork of the Tye River with my forty- pound camera pack.

Mountain dwellings such as this have mostly disappeared from the landscape. These two buildings have long since fallen down and the rotted remains have likely been covered with briars and honeysuckle vines.

This was an edition of forty-eight originals and no more remain in my collection.

---To view a larger image, click on the cabin.

2009-11-09T08:22:00.001-08:00

Winter Wash was made in western Nelson County, VA during a light snowfall.

When I first spotted this scene, I immediately recognized the potential for a nice piece of art. Like all of my original silver prints, this one is chemically toned the old fashioned way, and technically, it would be referred to as a silver sulfide original.

These images should last for hundreds of years if properly cared for.

To view more of Jack's work, click on OLDER POSTS at the bottom of the page.

To view a larger image, click on the cabin.

2009-11-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

It was a chilly day in Highland County, VA when I made this image of the ewe and two lambs. You might say that this was an example of anticipation and the decisive moment.

I had my eye on the ewe and even made an exposure, but when a second and third lamb stepped forward, I was ready. I made several exposures, but the best and final image was when the ewe turned toward her left. That was the decisive moment. This has been another public favorite over the years.

For a larger image click on the ewe

When you reach the bottom of the page, click on Older Blogs to continue with my stories and images. jj

2009-11-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

This lovely chapel is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near the interesction of Rt 56 and Montebello, VA.

This is a documentary which came about quite by chance, but I was drawn to the beautiful all-wood interior. I photographed it in both black and white and color.

Thanks to a member of the church, I was allowed to go in and complete my photography.

Click on the image for a larger view

2009-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

COLORADO WINTER ON THE GRAND MESA

I am frequently on the lookout for nature's abstracts, and trees have always been among my favorite subjects.

I drove up to the ten thousand feet level of Grand Mesa last January to get a taste of winter at the higher elevations and I spotted this aspen grove on the way in. It was bitter cold and the breeze did not help matters one bit, but I managed to set up my tripod and camera and this is what I ultimately ended up with.

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Click on the image to get a much larger image and you will be able to appreciate the original a little better.

DISCOVER COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT

2009-10-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

EROSIONAL MONUMENTS

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We recently spent a week near Fruita and made a number of visits into the Colorado National Monument.

When we lived in Wyoming, we made numerous visits south and drove by this park on I-70 but never realized what a lovely park this was until just recently. In fact, it reminds us of the area around Moab, UT. There are a vast number of canyons and monuments to explore.

This is but one of many images I made this past week, and these curious looking blobs of sandstone are called the "Coke Furnace." I made this exposure one afternoon following a frontal system which passed over the area. This time of year, the lighting is low, and it worked well for this image.

For a larger view, click on the image.

Fine Art of Photography

JACK JEFFERS---RECENT NEWS 2012

HORSE AND FENCE 1979

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT 2012

NATURE'S ABSTRACT 2011

TEAM OF WORK HORSES 1979

COAST OF MAINE 1986

GROUNDED FISHING BOAT Reedville, VA 1975

LOBSTER SHED NOVA SCOTIA 1988

TOM LUCAS DUBOIS, WY 2011

COLORADO BARN AND THE CHANGING OF THE LEAVES 2011

THE LAST DAY OF FALL COLOR FOR 2011

CRABTREE FALLS VA Circa 1979

FALL- COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY

JACK JEFFERS: TWO COLLECTABLE BOOKS STILL AVAILABLE

WYOMING COWBOY 2011

JACK JEFFERS, WYOMING ADVENTURE Sept 2011

FALL ARRIVES IN THE SAN JUAN RANGE CO 2011

DESERT SCAPE WYOMING 2002

JACK JEFFERS; WASHINGTON POST 1973

EWE & TWO LAMBS 1972

Big Tumbling Creek SW VA 1993

KEEP IT SIMPLE! 1982

JACK JEFFERS Aspen Grove. Silver & Oil, Wyoming 1999

JACK JEFFERS: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 2011

FIELD TRIP TO THE CIMARRONS July 20, 2011

CARTER 1980

OLD TRUCK & BARN 1984

HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THIS?

EFFIE THE MOUNTAIN WOMAN 1972

JACK JEFFERS AND HIS DOG JAKE EXPLORING THE RIM OF RED CANYON WY 2007

BOYSEN LAKE, CENTRAL WYOMING 2007

SPRING IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS

JAKE THE DOG 2006 - 2011

SHENANDOAN VALLEY WINDMILL THROUGH A WINDOW 1972

TWO AMISH BOYS 1972

ABSTRACT--BROKEN CUP 1969

CIMARRON RIDGE COLORADO

SPRING GREEN ALONG THE CIMARRON RIDGE

TRAIL TO THE CIMARRON RIDGE

SPRING BLOOMER, Cactus, West Slope Colorado

SPRING HAS ARRIVED IN COLORADO

FALL COLOR ALONG THE WESTERN SLOPE

GUNNISON RIVER ENTERING BLACK CANYON, COLORADO

FOOTHILLS OF THE APPALACHIANS

THUNDERHEAD OVER MT SNEFFELS 2011

WELCOME TO JACK JEFFERS' BLOG

MY FIRST CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPH circa 1947

ASPEN GROVE SINKS CANYON WY

PINE TREE ARCH UTAH 1999

SPLIT ROCK WYOMING 1998

JACK JEFFERS; MONUMENT DRAW WY 1997 SILVER & OIL

DESERT TRAIL WYOMING 2001

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK UTAH 2008

COLUMBINE COLORADO STATE FLOWER 2010

NATURE'S ABSTRACT - COLORADO 2008

OLD JUNIPER TRUNKS COLORADO 2010

ADOBE HILL NEAR DELTA COLORADO 2010

Jack Jeffers explores COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT 2008

COTTONWOOD GROVE SW COLORADO 2008

Jack Jeffers - ASPEN GROVE COLORADO 2010

FALL COLOR IN THE ADOBE HILLS SW COLORADO

Jack Jeffers - THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP 1970

OLD RAG MOUNTAIN 1972

JACK JEFFERS MAJOR DONATION TO ASU

JACK JEFFERS, IS IT ART? ©2001

JACK JEFFERS: TWO RARE BOOKS

TREE LINE

CIMARRON RANGE ©2010

LAST COLOR BEFORE THE STORM ©2010

THE REAL MOUNTAINS ©2010

CANYON TRAIL ©2010

WALL-TO-WALL COLOR ©2010

CHANGING OF THE COLOR ©2010

BUTTE AT TWIN CREEK, WY ©2000

GREEN THINGS IN THE BADLANDS

B&W MAGAZINE Special Issue August 2010

FOREST SCENE, BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS 1978

JACK JEFFERS WITH TWO ORIGINAL SILVER PRINTS

WINTER LANE ©1979