PhotographyRod Sexton
“It is the “little things” that must be coaxed out of hiding that can often be among those “spectacular scenes of the world”.”
Rod has lived in Redlands, California since 1989 and has a background in commercial photography. For several decades, along with his primary administrative duties, he produced most of the product photographs for a national beverage company that found their way onto signage displayed in thousands of retail stores across the country.
Before digital imaging came of age, a large format view camera was his “tool of choice” for high resolution and the ultimate in image control.
Rod has had a passion for producing images since his pre-teen years and has never stopped following that passion. Once digital imaging caught up to (often exceeded) the quality of traditional film, he abandoned the chemical darkroom, replacing it with Photoshop and wide format fine art pigment printers. Acquiring the initial image is still a “camera process” but instead of film recording the image, a digital sensor does the job.
DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE
Images are camera-created or scanned from film…then edited in Photoshop.
Rather than add elements or colors not in the original image, Rod enhances what IS in the image to better express his feelings visually.
Prints are made on a wide format Epson 11-color archival pigment printer typically using Hot Press or Cold Press matte fine art paper or canvas media.
Rod’s art begins with a digital camera image, or from traditional film scanned into a digital image. His passion is to convert that digital image into the solid form of a print that can be touched, felt, and displayed for viewing… hopefully to be enjoyed by others.
Processing and printing the image allows him freedom to reflect on the feelings that led him to record the image in the first place and do his best to translate those feelings to others. To Rod, the image has not truly been created until it takes the form of a print.
Although he enjoys experiencing spectacular scenes of the world as much as the next person, Rod tends to focus on that which could easily go unnoticed; it is the “little things” that must be coaxed out of hiding that can often be among those “spectacular scenes of the world”.
Creating an image is an intense emotional experience to him, especially when he sees within it a message that can be spoken visually. He derives much satisfaction from speaking that message with his prints.
