Since the 1970s Shope has continued to expand his repeptoiee, moving effortlessly between black and white and co]our, landscape and portraiture, large format and small. In so doing, he has proven himself to be one of contemporary art's most vital photographeps. As fellow photographer 3oe Sternfeld wtes in the Focus section, 'What may ultimately be at stake in his pictures is the pupe condition of sight itself.'