In Venice Inside a “squero” with John Sexton!

By the age of 26 years, ie from 1979 until the death of Ansel Adams, in 1984, John Sexton has been at the side of the famous photographer, and inherited all his enormous knowledge. Today John Sexton is a very famous photographer and fine art printer, so what a surprise when I was introduced to him during the inauguration of the exhibition of Sebastiao Salgado in Venice. I read, or better, I learned by heart, when I first approached photography in the early 90's, the whole trilogy written by Ansel Adams, namely "The Camera, The Negative, The Print", and remembered by heart every photos, each name, including the ones of the assistant John Sexton.

So when I met him, it was like opening a book that had been closed, but very present in my memory, for decades. John and his wife, Anne, also a photographer, desired to take some pictures inside a squéro, the place in Venice where gondolas are built, and knowing that I published the only existing photo book in the whole world concerning their construction, I had the pleasure to take John Sexton around for a Photo tour in Venice!

Incredible to see, when he opened his bag I saw the Hasselblad, the film holders marked with the various developments settings and the various different types of film, everything was exactly as I read in the books, and exactly as I did for years before the advent of digital. All was made with calm and precision, as if time had stopped.

I envied very much who was able to carry on the great tradition of black and white film photography, not only for the results, but also for the whole world around it, a world of meditation, and reasoned shots. Quite the opposite of what I often now see, made by people that pose as "photographer" only because they own a camera ... A beautiful afternoon, I hope to repeat it soon!

You can find my Photo Tours in Venice in my dedicated website