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Clevenger appears Saturday at Booky Joint

By Katie Vane

The first edition sold out within the first year. The hardcover edition sold out in days. This Saturday, Aug. 7, renowned Eastern Sierra photographer Vern Clevenger will be at the Booky Joint from 4-6 p.m. to sign the second edition of his seminal photography book, “Sierra Sojourns.” This second edition boasts five new images in a stunning collection spanning the course of Vern’s career. In addition, Vern will be personalizing copies of the slip cover hardback limited edition, of which there are only 200.

Born in the Bay Area, Vern Clevenger has been photographing the Eastern Sierra since the 1970s. For him, photography “was just natural. It was just there; it was a passion.” He got his first real camera from his mentor, the late photographer Galen Rowell, and went on to distinguish himself in large format prints. “I don’t carry that 4 × 5 equipment around much anymore,” he admits. “It’s gotten where it’s too heavy and too expensive to get film.”

Vern has been using digital technology in the printmaking process for the past 11 years, but he always strives “to keep the natural color.” He’s no fan of landscape photographs that are the product of “the wild saturation button.”

Vern’s own photographs demonstrate a masterful understanding of light and composition. He attributes his understanding of light to his many years of rock climbing: “Climbing did lay a foundation for a photography career,” he says. “Being out at the right time; seeing things at unusual angles.”

Now retired from climbing, Vern continues to take trips into the backcountry with his family: wife Margaret, son Dylan, and daughter Sabrina. When asked if his children have a similar passion for photography, Vern smiles. “Not really,” he says. “I won’t let them like it much. It’s too hard to make a living at it. The industry is too much in flux.”

A fluctuating industry isn’t the only challenge Vern has faced in recent years. In 2004 he was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent serious surgery. The cancer has come back three times, but, Vern says, “The last two checkups have been really good. Just hope it stays that way.”