Jack Leigh

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15088115

Photographer. He began his work in 1972 and was the author of several highly acclaimed books of outdoor photography: "Oystering: A Way of Life", "The Ogeechee: A River and It's People", "Nets and Doors: Shrimping In Southern Waters", "Seaport: A Waterfront At Work", "The Land I'm Bound To", and "Ossabaw: Evocations of an Island". Leigh's best known image, entitled "Midnight", is of the "Bird Girl" statue that once stood at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. It appeared on the cover of John Berendt's best-selling book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (1993). Leigh later sued the producers of the 1997 film version, claiming they copied the look of his photograph without his permission; the suit was settled out of court. As for the "Bird Girl" statue Leigh made so famous, it had to be removed to a local museum to prevent its theft. Leigh died of cancer at 55.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Leigh

John David "Jack" Leigh II (November 8, 1948 – May 19, 2004), was a native of Savannah, Georgia and a graduate of The Savannah Country Day School and the University of Georgia. He was a photographer and author, known for the cover photograph on the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The photograph itself, largely considered a major factor in the success of the novel, featured the "Bird Girl" statue from the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.

Already well known locally as a portrait and documentary photographer, Leigh was commissioned by Random House for the photograph. Leigh wrote and published five books on photography. His former photo gallery was a popular tourist attraction in the Historic District of downtown Savannah. He died May 19, 2004, in Savannah of colon cancer. He is fittingly buried in Bonaventure Cemetery.

Published works

Oystering: A Way of Life (ISBN 0910326177 with James Dickey and Charles L. Wyrick, Jr.; Carolina Art Association, June 1985)

Nets & Doors: Shrimping in Southern Waters (ISBN 0941711129, Gibbs Smith Publishing, October 1, 1989)

Seaport: A Waterfront at Work (ISBN 094171134X, Gibbs Smith Publishing, July 1, 1996)

The Land I'm Bound To Photographs (ISBN 978-0-393-04931-2, with Pat Conroy; W.W. Norton & Company, Sept 2000)

The Ogeechee: A River and Its People (ISBN 082032650X, Wormsloe Foundation Publications, April 28, 2004)

Ossabaw: Evocations of an Island (ISBN 0820326429, with James Kilgo, Alan Campbell, and John Lane; University of Georgia Press, April 28, 2004)