Monthly Archives: October 2008

Insights Art Exhibition 2008

Here are snapshots from my trip to the Insights Art Exhibition opening reception on October 21st. in San Francisco.  The show, opening reception, and patron’s dinner in City Hall were a great success, and a total blast.  I want to thank everyone at the Lighthouse for their work and support.  A special thanks to Kim Shuck, Insight’s coordinator, Kari Orvik, and Ellen Lord for making the show such a success.  And to all of the donors who make this possible, thank you.  http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/events/insights/

The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery are proud to present the 19th Annual Insights 2008 Art Exhibition — an international juried exhibition of works by artists who are blind or visually impaired.

October 2 – December 12, 2008
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery
City Hall, Lower Level

Featured Artists: 2007 Elva Iacono Vergari Prize winners
Phoebe Barkan
Bruce Hall
Michael Jameson

giant green anemone

 

giant green anemone, originally uploaded by bphall.

I am often curious about the struggle, and harshness of nature. Amazing, beautiful creatures use countless strategies to obtain food, and keep from becoming a predator’s prey. Anemones use stinging cells within their tentacles to paralyze prey, but do not bother humans. Anemones prey on mussels, sea urchins, small fish, and crabs. Once paralyzed, the anemone pulls its prey into its mouth, digests the food, then excretes waste from the same opening. These rugged creatures can live to more than 80 years. Anemones generally live attached to the rocky intertidal zone near shore. Spend a day at the beach watching the tide go in and out. You’ll soon notice waves crashing on the rocks with these tough creatures glued to the reef, attempting to find stasis during dry, hot periods of low tide, then you’ll see them pounded by high surf, and high tide. While taking this photo, I imagined I was a tiny creature stung by the poison dart like tentacle of this amazing creature, then I gently touched the animal, and pressed the shutter as the anemone began to quickly close. Shaw’s Cove, Laguna Beach, CA

texture

 

texture, originally uploaded by bphall.

A close-up photo of the texture, color, pattern of a sea star found near Catalina Island, CA.

practice and light

Took some time today to examine a sunflower, experimenting with different light sources.  

a fish’s view

   

a fish’s view, originally uploaded by bphall.

This is one of my all-time favorite photos. It was late summer at the Casino Marine Park, Catalina island, CA, and I was solo diving in shallow water, about 25 feet, when I thought I fired off my last frame of velvia film. The water was calm and clear as I slowly moved up toward my exit. In 10-15 ft. of water I looked up and saw this scene, but thought I was out of film. I carry a magnifier to see the film counter on my old nikonos v underwater camera, and to my surprise I had two frames left. I took my time to capture this surreal moment. I’ve dived this spot a couple hundred times and have never seen this view, and haven’t since. Photography is always a moment never to return. This is a view of the Casino building from about ten feet underwater, with no tricks, just the refraction of the water.