Photo by Renée Besta:
Corallina Cove Minus Tide
Photo by Henrik Kam: LOFA #11
Point San Luis Lighthouse
Photo by Edward Burtynsky:
Manufactured Landscapes
Photo by Dorothy Cutter:
Eiffel Tower Sunset
Photo by Don Vokal: Dragon Flower
Photo by Renée Besta: Still Life Talking
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November 2009
SLO Photography Exhibitions & Events
by Renée Besta
The onset of the calends of November signals the first whisper of winter, with shorter days and long, brooding afternoon shadows as we revert to Pacific Standard Time. Marked by a multitude of celebrations around the world from All Saints' Day to the Day of the Dead, Samhain, and Thanksgiving, the 11th month of the year blesses photographers with bundles of joy - from the annual Leonids meteor shower to afternoon minus tides, perfect for capturing the delicate sea creatures revealed by the temporary adieu of the ocean as it "waves" goodbye to coastal caves, canyons, and rock formations. In November we give thanks for the bounty of photographic opportunities bestowed upon us in this, the most magical, majestic locale on the California coast we are so fortunate to call home. So let's explore this month's treasure trove of photography events and opportunities.
Now Through Thursday, November 5th
The 2009 Call for Entries for the San Luis Obispo Art Center's very popular CraftArt Market is now open to all Art Center members with an application deadline of November 5th. Eagerly anticipated by residents and visitors alike, the CraftArt Market is a holiday boutique gift buying event featuring the highest quality fine jewelry, small paintings, fiber art, photography, sculpture, whimsical folk art, home décor, ceramics, glass art, and much more. Proceeds benefit both the artists and the Art Center, helping fund outstanding exhibitions and youth education classes. The CraftArt Market runs each day from November 27th through December 31st between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm, closing at 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. For information on applying, contact the Art Center at 543-8562 extension 11, or drop by in person to pick up an entry form at 1010 Broad Street at Monterey.
Now Through November 15th – The Ansel Adams Gallery National Park Photography Contest
Submit your own masterpiece by entering the 2009 Ansel Adams Gallery Photography Contest, now open for entries through November 15th. This year's theme is on U.S. National Parks, Landmarks, and Monuments as defined by the National Park Service. The contest is open to all photographers 18 years or older, with a limit of three digital entries which must be submitted through the official contest page. Prizes include Ansel Adams Gallery gift certificates and archival print replicas, with winners to be determined by the Gallery Contest Panel along with input via popular vote. As images are posted on the Gallery's SmugMug website, you can vote on your favorite images from now until November 30th. Winners and awards will be announced on December 15th. For complete details and contest rules please visit Ansel Adams.com.
Friday, November 6th
The first Friday of each month is better known in the arts community as "Art After Dark," when the galleries of downtown SLO fling open their doors to the public from 6:00 to 9:00 pm to imbibe in fine art, food, wine, and frolicking with the artists. Opening receptions will be held for several photographic exhibitions, with the artists in attendance. These include two shows at the San Luis Obispo Art Center: We Belong to the Earth: A Tribute to California's Indigenous Traditions, an exploration of how California's Native American heritage and sacred narratives relate to the landscape; and Henrik Kam: Industrial Mountains, a collection of San Francisco bayside black and white photographs taken of urban demolition and construction sites composed to appear as hills and mountain ranges from Kam's series Landscapes of Ambiguity (LOFA).
Photographic Society member B.K. Richard will present Snapshot of Today's India, a visual narrative capturing life and survival in India, at Humankind located at 982 Monterey Street. The Photo Shop at 1027-B Marsh Street will host a reception from 5:00 to 8:00 pm for David Ashcraft, who is showing images of Yosemite, the Southern Sierras, and the California Coast. For full details on Art After Dark, please visit Arts Obispo.
Sunday, November 8th
What could possibly be more photogenic than a lighthouse perched above the rugged Central California coast? The scenic sentinel of Point San Luis, first lit in 1890, is the only one of three similarly designed California lighthouses to remain standing. With dramatic seascapes reaching from Vandenberg Air Force Base to Avila Beach, the Point San Luis Lighthouse is an integral part of the County's rich history. Shuttered in 1974 by the Coast Guard, the 30-acre site was donated by the Federal Government to the Port San Luis Harbor District in 1992 with the caveat that the light station be renovated and opened to the public.
Join members of the San Luis Obispo Camera Club for an unforgettable field trip on November 8th to tour the structure and grounds on which this spectacular beacon resides. Our photographers will be convening at 9:45 am at the entrance to Wild Cherry Canyon midway between the Avila Beach Resort and the gateway to Port San Luis. The Club has reserved two vans to transport us on the tour to the lighthouse and the head keeper's quarters. The cost of the tour is $20 for Camera Club members and reservations are required.
This special tour is nearly sold out and rightfully so, as the usual route to the grounds is via a very rugged, steep 3.5 mile roundtrip hiking trail, not conducive to lugging heavy camera equipment. To sign up for the field trip, please contact SLOCC Field Trip Coordinator Malcolm Carlaw. Surf on over to Slo Camera Club for more information.
Tuesday, November 10th
Cruise on over to the November 10th meeting of the Central Coast Photographic Society for a glorious excursion through the waterways of France with Morro Bay artist Dorothy Cutter, who will give a digital presentation featuring images from her Spring 2009 trip from Nice in the south, to Honfleur in the north, along the Seine, Rhone, and Somme rivers as well as canals and dozens of locks. Dorothy's photographs emphasize scenes along these waterways during the day and nighttime vistas of towns and bridges, in addition to images of Normandy, the exquisite Honfleur inland harbor, Monet's Garden in Giverny, Paris street scenes, and the French countryside.
The rivers of France served as highways in the Middle Ages; consequently, the towns grew out from the rivers. The advantage to vacationing on a small boat is the ability to dock alongside small towns or large cities, walk a block or two in any direction, and be situated in the heart of everything you would want to see and photograph. This special show serves as an artistic interpretation of France's striking scenery as seen through Dorothy's lens. As she traveled to France in the late Spring, most everything was in bloom with wildflowers sprouting up in abundance.
The Photographic Society, an affiliate member group of the San Luis Obispo Art Center, meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Nybak Wing of the Art Center, located at 1010 Broad Street at Monterey on Mission Plaza. Visit their site for the scoop.
Thursday, November 12th
The very dapper and successful retired local businessman Don Vokal will present the main program for the San Luis Obispo Camera Club's November monthly meeting. For over 60 years, photography has played a key role in Don's personal and professional life, from the application of his skills in promoting the products of his family business – Precision Tool & Die Manufacturing – to shooting training films in Los Angeles and launching the first Wiz 1-Hour film processing business in San Luis Obispo. Don and his family live on 85 acres of spectacular farm land on Huasna Road in Arroyo Grande, supplying him with a deep well of photographic opportunities, which he mines to his artistic advantage.
Don's in-depth technical background in traditional film photography, combined with his digital studies at the former Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging, have given him a unique skill set and perspective which will be evident in his digital presentation featuring nature and landscape photography. In addition to past exhibits at the San Luis Obispo Country Club, Don currently shows and sells his work at three locations.
SLOCC meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month (except December). The Club meets at the Veteran's Memorial Hall in San Luis Obispo, located at 801 Grand Avenue near the corner of Monterey and Grand. There is a large parking lot next to the building. The meeting room is in the lounge to the right of the main entrance, not in the main auditorium. Please "click" on over to the Club's web site for more information.
Monday, November 16th
Dispense with the Monday blues and come on down at 7:00 pm for movie night at the SLO Art Center, where we will view Manufactured Landscapes, an award-winning documentary film on the remarkable work of renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, who crafts stunning, large-scale photographs of what he calls manufactured landscapes: quarries, mines, dams, recycling yards, slag heaps, e-waste dumps, and gigantic factories. Director Jennifer Baichwal locks her camera on Burtynsky as he travels to China and India shooting the effects of the nouveau industrial revolution on a gargantuan scale, revealing the by-products of civilization and raising many ethical questions concerning humankind's impact on our fragile planet.
Unforgettable imagery forged into the mind include sites such as China's Three Gorges Dam, which displaced over a million people, factory floors more than a half-mile long, workers gathered outside a factory charged with producing more with fewer errors, and children playing with or collecting debris. This film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and for Best Documentary at Film Independent's Spirit Awards, and won Best Documentary at the RiverRun Film Festival and several others. For more information on the brilliant work of Burtynsky, please visit Edward Burtynsky.com. The film runs for 90 minutes.
As I have remarked many times before, we are most fortunate to live in a photographic wonderland with such an active and supportive community of artists. If you are new to the area or have not yet taken advantage of all the SLO Camera Club and Central Coast Photographic Society have to offer, then please attend a meeting, exhibit, or event and discover what you have been missing. Since moving to the County in 2003, I have been both delighted and stunned at the numerous offerings of both organizations. And while I have most definitely benefited from the shared photographic knowledge, the best perk of all has been the members themselves, who truly feel like family to me.
Renée Besta is President of the Central Coast Photographic Society and serves on the Board of the SLO Camera Club as Writer, Editor, and Designer of the Courier newsletter. A former biomedical professional, Renée now works in the areas of graphic design, fine art photography, teaching, writing, and digital printing for artists. She can be contacted at reneebesta@slocoastjournal.com or by calling 805.450.4640.
Sea Star image on banner by Renée M. Besta |
