The Southwest Ray McSavaney

anasazi ruin, 1997

by ray mcsavaney

with skills honed in tire factory , bunker hill projects, mcsavaney tackled challenging southwest pueblo ruins of eye dramatizing portraying them. now, proficient mature professional photographer, confident capture scene, regardless of whatever technical difficulties may present. knowledge of materials, gained through rigorous testing , experimentation, allowed him confidently tackle subjects defeat lesser craftsman . in addition luminance extremes, ruins held dark regions of flat contrast. so, how handle subject, part of in deep shadow, part in bright sunlight, , in between dark patches of no contrast, regions somehow had open? no hay problema! of southwest photographs, besides having compress wide luminance ranges, simultaneously had drastically expand parts of many images — difficult technical exposure situation.

for southwest subjects, mcsavaney resorted high key printing. in rendition, faced different technical problem need further compress subject tonal range 3 highest tonal values paper take. in order work, had visualize final print, expose negative enable him print in limited high-key tonal range; is, had plan complete end-to-end process in detail. in situations adams zone system effective. having learned @ feet of master, mcsavaney utilized adams principles of image management , value management control complete process. in adams explanation, such control allows photographer visualize different possible renderings of subject @ film plane, , manage image in such way achieve desired photographic interpretation.easy pie!

showing versatility in control of materials, mcsavaney printed many of southwest anasazi ruins in high key. enabled him achieve effective representation of ancient ruined dwellings had reposed centuries in searing southwest desert sunlight amid dramatic natural surroundings. consistent through work on southwest ability capture extraordinary juxtaposition of ancient ruins dark-stained contorted rock surroundings. many of resulting photographs express undoubted eye drama , surprise in enduring heritage of ancestral puebloans. knowing adam s admonition artist creates message,mcsavaney wanted anasazi speak through photographs as did himself; is, speak viewer. had unique ability see unified whole - rock structures , colors, multitude of forms , textures, matrix were, ancient builders had incorporated own vision of world.

in ambitious southwest work mcsavaney envisioned displaying “from man’s beginning … present”, states in 1 of brochures. produced work of quality far superseded of southwest photographers working in black , white medium. treatment of southwest subject matter, through luminous dramatic black , white photographs, sets vision apart — may apparent in accompanying photograph, in huntington archives, , in several of website examples.

having mastered nuances of negative exposure , resultant printing, mcsavaney departed convention in southwest work convey eye dramatic settings — ‘chaotic’ — ancient dwellers undoubtedly possessed. in many cases, sites located amid surroundings of cliff overhangs ominous descending streaks of black algal growth fused stone, unusual rock patterns, many affording unlimited vistas. applying ongoing quest appropriate ‘context’, mcsavaney photographed contorted geology of surroundings as ruins themselves, uniting them organic compositions.

recognizing mcsavaney’s penchant seeking order in chaos, situation exemplified many southwest ruins , crowded los angeles street scenes, writer david robertson again quotes him stating “relationships between objects, or people matter, in photograph maybe more important objects themselves”. statement ancient anasazi, keen eye spectacular dwelling locations, agree, viewers of mcsavaney s broadway , melrose avenue series. (see ancient ruin sites , people in web site.)