Sad News: Ray McSavaney Passed Away

[Jim Noel]

I have just learned that Ray McSavaney passed away on July 2. I do not know the cause.
The photographic world has lost a giant but many don't realize it. Ray was a true master of the medium. His images were beautifully designed and immaculately printed. He was a man of very soft demeanor whom I never heard raise his voice. He did his shouting with his imagery.

Goodbye old friend. I, and many others, will surely miss you.

Jim Noel

[Ken Lee]

Here's a link to his galleries page: http://www.raymcsavaneyphotography.com/portfolio.html?folio=Galleries (http://www.raymcsavaneyphotography.com/portfolio.html?folio=Galleries)

[David Karp]

Wow. A very nice man.

[William Whitaker]

I'm sorry to hear that news. I really liked his work.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Ray passed after a battle with cancer, he thought he had it beat but a few months ago it came back and despite radiation treatments, he just couldn't fight it. We have lost a great photographer, teacher and friend. As many of you know, John Sexton was a very important part of Ray's life for over 40 years and he, along with some of Ray's close friends in Los Angeles are working to save Ray's photographic legacy. They are collecting donations to help pay for the organization and preservation of his work. I have asked John to allow me to post some of the information here so that those of us who might like to donate can do so.

Ray was a good friend and mentor to me over the years and I will miss him dearly.

[matthew blais]

Wow, too sad...I only met him once when he showed at QT's Gallery in Santa Monica..Sublime work and seemed to be a nice, soft spoken gentleman.

[Merg Ross]

Over the years I have enjoyed seeing Ray's superb photographs. I am saddened to hear the news.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Such a great loss. I was not fortunate to meet the man but I love his work. A true inspiration.

[mpirie]

I never met Ray, but felt i knew him through John Sexton.

I hope his family and friends will accept our deepest condolences at such a sad time.

RIP Ray.

Mike

[Vaughn]

RIP. I have met him thru workshops over the years. Great person and great photographer.

[Wayne Lambert]

A wonderful photographer and a true loss.

Wayne

[Drew Wiley]

His level of craft deserves some kind of serious posthumous exhibition.

[h2oman]

His level of craft deserves some kind of serious posthumous exhibition.

Yes, plus maybe another book, to include the images at his web page that are not in Explorations. He had a great eye and a wonderful sense of how to optimize an image.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

A new book is a lovely thought but sadly I doubt that can happen. His book "Explorations" is wonderful but it did not even touch the depth of his work. I think his floral work is the finest I have ever seen but few had the chance to view it.

[Kirk Gittings]

A wonderful photographer and a true loss.

Wayne
ditto

[Carl J]

Inspiring work. Thanks Ken for posting the link.


Here's a link to his galleries page: http://www.raymcsavaneyphotography.com/portfolio.html?folio=Galleries (http://www.raymcsavaneyphotography.com/portfolio.html?folio=Galleries)

[John Sexton]

Remembering Ray McSavaney - Photographer, Educator, Author, and Friend
Ray was one of my closest friends for forty years. I have written a tribute to Ray. It is posted on my web site. If you are interested, I would be pleased if you would take a look. The link is below. As Eric mentioned a fund, Friends of Ray, was created, with Ray's approval, to raise money to attempt to organize, catalog, and store Ray's photographic archive in preparation for attempting to place his work at an appropriate institution. Donation information is included in my essay. In addition, at this time when you purchase a copy of Ray's beautiful book, Explorations, 100% of the net profit goes to the "Friends of Ray" fund. Explore in peace Ray.

Here is the link to my tribute to Ray: http://www.johnsexton.com/newsletter07-2014.html

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Thanks for posting this John it is a lovely tribute and I hope many others will read it.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Thanks for updating the post.

[Merg Ross]

Brooks Jensen has paid an interesting tribute to Ray on his LensWork Daily podcast.

http://daily.lenswork.com

[Eric Biggerstaff]

That was nice, thanks for posting this Merg.

Eric

[Merg Ross]

That was nice, thanks for posting this Merg.

Eric

Hi Eric, most welcome. Hope all goes well with you, any new work?

Merg

[evan clarke]

A wonderful photographer. I was lucky to be around him some. He had mounds of unmounted prints in his van and a bunch of his books. I had to beg him to sell me a book and had a print ordered for around 10 years.. My favorite story was that he told a group of us about his fairly recent floral work. He raised plants and flowers on his balcony in downtown LA and had it packed with flowering plants...he said the best thing was waiting for one to die so he could plant another..said with a wicked glint in his eye.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Thanks for asking Merg!

I am doing fine and hope you are having a great summer. I have been busy making images but this year keepers seem to be few and far between. Perhaps Ray's passing will get me going and offer some inspiration, it would be a nice way to remember him.

[Andrew Plume]

I first became aware of Ray's work when I was getting into LF, around 15/16 years ago

he struck me, like many of those who post on here (Merg being a prime example) that he worked quietly and maintained a low profile - I very much respect this kind of attitude

regards

andrew

[Jim Noel]

Since I started this thread I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I learned from Ray. I even returned to the little 4x5 camera I used when I first met him and on several workshops in the following years. During the years I was even privileged to assist him as he conducted a workshop in the Museum of Photographic Arts/Grossmont College series. I must say I learned many valuable lessons from exposure to little techniques in the darkroom which I have never seen or heard of anyone else using. Going back to the little 4x5 and gelatin silver enlargements for a few days brought many of them back from my old memory bank.
There is one thing I learned from this wonderful person which has been of more value in my life than all others combined, patience. Patience in every aspect of life,not just photography.
Thank you Ray. I hope you hear me for I didn't say it often enough when I could face you.
May you now be with God.

Jim

[Michael Rosenberg]

Ray's images of the Uniroyal factory in his book inspired me to photograph the abandoned American Tobacco factory in Durham. I thought I would take a few photographs of the factory, but it turned into a 6 year project. Towards the end of the project I met Ray at the Owens Valley workshop in 2001. I brought my portfolio of tobacco factory prints to seek his feedback, and he was gracious to spend over an hour viewing my prints during a break. I was very nervous, as I had not shown anyone else these prints. He gave me some great feedback, and his comments were extremely insightful. His comments and suggestions stand with me today, even though they were few in number! He pointed out that some of my prints did not fit with the others because the shadows were too dark and as a consequence had low contrast – whereas all the other prints had lighter shadows and good detail. This was obvious after he mentioned it, but I was viewing the prints individually and not as a whole body of work. One minimal comment, but two insights!

The other comment he made was another great lesson – be conscious of the sequence I presented the images in a portfolio. He suggested I imagine the prints were presented in a book, which prints would you want the viewer to see first, and balance (the word he used) the tonalities of prints on opposing pages. Line up all the prints on a wall, and rearrange them until they feel correct. He made other comments, but these to me were the most insightful and I use them often.

I also watched Ray photograph when we went to Bodie, and I tried to be discreet so as to gain insight on his approach to a scene. He set his camera up in the dining room of a house next to the church in Bodie. He walked around the table several times, and decided on a point of view. Over the next 2 hours I watched as he arranged the chairs, checking his ground glass each time, moving one chair an inch this way and another chair an inch another way. He moved the front door to change the lighting and shadow detail on the door. He moved his camera an inch or so, he stood staring at the table for minutes. When I came back to the house at the end of two hours he was putting his camera away, and I asked if he liked the image he took. He gave his slight knowing smile, and said he didn’t take the picture. I am not sure why he did not take the picture, and I am sure if I asked I would have gotten an answer in a day or two; but, it gave me pause and makes me think every time now ‘do I really like and want this picture?’ If you really don't like it, don't do it. And, very carefully examine your ground glass and how the components in an image relate to each other.

I was amazed at the images he showed during the workshop. So different. When he showed his floral prints and he explained his back had been bothering him, and could not go into the field. So instead he went to the flower market and made floral arrangements with light from a north facing window. Then made backdrops from prints he had made of the flowers and found backdrops. He seemed to be saying that photography is therapy, and creativity is always there - never stop photographing.

I am sorry I did not get to see more of his work, but I am so glad to have had this experience.

Mike

[gary892]

Jim Noel,
I was fortunate to have attended a workshop where Ray was teaching along with other instructors, and the one word I would use to describe Ray is the same as you, Patience.

I remember getting out of the car and sort of rushing to set up and make a photograph when just behind my right shoulder I hear the words "Slow down a little".
I turn toward the voice and it was Ray. He spoke of being patient and waiting for the right moment.

I wish I had been able to spend more time and other workshops with Ray but it was not meant to be.

I too will miss him more than words can express.

Gary