‘Morning mist, Jackson Lake, Bivouac and Traverse Peaks, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 2022’ by Jim Kessler
The sun-washed landscapes of the American West have long captivated San-Francisco-born photographer Jim Kessler.
After relocating to Oxfordshire in late 2024 and joining the RPS, Kessler soon rediscovered his connection to this scenery. The catalyst? An article in the Society’s membership magazine the RPS Journal featuring photographs by Bruce Barnbaum of Antelope Canyon and White Pocket.
Here, Kessler reflects on the lure of the American West, Britain’s scenery and his desire to connect with the viewer.
‘Morning light, coastal trail, Point Reyes, California, 2015’ by Jim Kessler
Where is your interest in photography rooted?
My parents were outdoor people, so we’d go fishing in Northern California, Idaho and Oregon, and spend a lot of time hiking in the Yosemite mountains growing up.
My father got me hooked on photography. In the early 1960s the first thing he showed me was a book of Edward Curtis’s images of the American Southwest in the late 1800s. I thought they were great.
I was then introduced to the landscape photography of Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange and Edward Steichen.
The quality and emotion intrinsic to these images has stayed with me since. As I grew up I took a camera with me wherever I went. I can’t draw, sing or dance but photography’s always sat well with me.
‘Lady in the Wind, Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, 2021’ by Jim Kessler
Tell us about your photography training
I got drafted in 1971. I went to the Navy and said I was willing to enlist if I could attend naval photographic schools. I was trained as a naval photographer in cameras ranging from 35mm to 8x10 view cameras, as well as in all processing and printing systems.
After getting out of military service I attended training at Eastman Kodak in Rochester and participated in Ansel Adams workshops in Yosemite Valley.
My interest in photography remained strong. Eventually, however, my career veered off to real estate and that remained an industry where I spent the rest of my working life.
‘Night Sky, Mount Whitney, California, 1977’ by Jim Kessler
What draws you to landscape photography?
Landscape photography has always been my primary focus. I’d say my approach to this genre is pretty traditional. When examining a landscape I always ask myself how I picture the final image in my mind. This helps me focus on the end goal.
I also tend to make good use of clouds in my landscape photography. Their shapes and the light they capture can really add to an image.
Whether the landscape in question is rolling hills in Yorkshire or the High Sierra, the contrasting landscapes of the American West and the United Kingdom equally contain the fundamentals to make a great image.
‘Mount Shasta, Shastina, Clouds, Mt. Shasta Wilderness, Californa, 2021’ by Jim Kessler
What is your connection to Bruce Barnbaum’s images of the American West?
I really admire his work on American landscapes. I’m especially drawn to his images of Antelope Canyon and White Pocket as I’ve created a series on these two locations in both black-and-white as well as full colour.
I found myself as astounded by these landscapes as Barnbaum was. They feel like stepping into alien worlds and are filled with vantage points and things many people don’t even realise exist.
‘Aspen Grove, Winter, Carson National Forest, New Mexico, 2023’ by Jim Kessler
You’ve shot the landscapes of the American West in black-and-white and colour. Which do you prefer?
Colour images of these landscapes can be incredibly dramatic. They capture the vibrancy of the changing tones of the sandstone as the sun and light shifts throughout the day.
However, most of my American West images are shot in black-and-white. I feel like the emotion of a landscape comes through better in black-and-white than a full colour shot.
If you get the black tones in an image right the rest of the photograph follows. If you don’t, you run the risk of the picture going flat. That’s why you must put richness into black tones. Barnbaum is very good at this. As was Ansel Adam, Imogen Cunningham and Dorothea Lange’s shots of the American West too.
I strive to achieve a similar tonality and contrast in my images.