Jack Leigh is one of my all time favorite photographers. His body of work captures the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia better than any photographer I have seen. Pat Conroy's words are a perfect match for his photographs.
Leigh has so many great books, it's hard to choose a favorite. If I had to narrow it down I would pick Oystering: A Way of Life, Nets and Doors: Shrimping in Southern Waters, and his retrospective, The Land I'm Bound To.
I am lucky enough to own this piece and look at it everyday!
Several years ago M bought a couple prints for me and I could not be more grateful.
This photo reminds me of the my hometown and the oystermen who help maintain our waters.
His books are full of glorious images but his most notable piece is on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. If you haven't been to Bonaventure Cemetery you should definitely make the trip. The cemetery is in Savannah on the Wilmington River and is incredibly peaceful. The great songwriter Johnny Mercer was laid to rest here.
Jack Leigh passed away in 2004 after a battle with colon cancer. He left the world a better place as he documented the South in a way that will preserve our salt marshes and barrier islands long after they're gone.
