CLASSICAL GUITARIST 1986

CLASSICAL GUITAR

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

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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

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

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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.

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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.

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

TAKING ON WATER ©1977

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.

SPLIT CHESTNUT SHINGLES ©1972

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.

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN HOMESTEAD ©1972

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.

SHERANDO BARN ©1975

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.

FORK MOUNTAIN HOMESTEAD ©1971

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.

WINTER WASH ©1978

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.

EWE & LAMBS ©1972

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

SOUTH MOUNTAIN CHAPEL ©1972

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

ASPEN GROVE ©2009

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.