BUTTE AT TWIN CREEK, WY ©2000

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

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

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

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

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.

WINTER LANE ©1979

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.

ROCKFISH VALLEY ©1975

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

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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.

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