Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Vibrant Photography Exhibition Reveals the Beautiful Side of Butterflies and Other Insects at Fernbank Museum

Award-winning nature and wildlife photographer Bill Harbin of Rome, Ga. decorates Fernbank Museum’s walls with 33 astounding photos of bright flowers and fluttering insects in his exhibition Winged Beauty: Butterflies and Other Insects.

A variety of insect photos illuminate the entry level walls with vibrant, unbelievable colors. Delicate butterflies rest on sturdy flowers, buzzing dragonflies glide motionlessly through the air, and beetles feed on flowers covered in dew drops.

The crisp photos capture every microscopic detail, inviting viewers into a bug’s world. When met eye-to-eye, the delicate, tender butterfly suddenly becomes a dominant, aggressive creature, and tiny dew drops become heavy weights.

“The world of insects dazzles in color and form,” said Harbin, who was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 by Natural History Museum, London and BBC Wildlife. Harbin also had three images published in North American Nature Photography Association's Annual Showcase Competition 2010.

In one image, the fierce heat of a Florida afternoon rests on the fiery petals of a gaillardia flower. The drooping tips of the flower petals fade from yellow, to orange, to red and finally to deep burgundy surrounding the base of the flower.

Harbin’s photographs magnify every small detail, including the interaction between blossom and butterfly in one image that depicts pollen escaping the gaillardia as a Great Southern White Butterfly nectars the flower.

“Capturing this rapidly moving natural spectacle with still camera images is challenging hard work at best,” said Harbin, who succeeds with brilliant images that stop time and allow the beauty of nature to be seen up close. “Most of these scenes lasted only a few seconds, a moment as ephemeral as the average lifespan of these creatures, but now frozen in time for lingering views.”

Winged Beauty: Butterflies and Other Insects is now on view at Fernbank Museum of Natural History through September 6, 2010. The exhibition is included with Museum admission, which is $15 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, $13 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for Museum Members and children under 3.

The exhibition is featured in conjunction with Geckos: Tails to Toepads, a live animal exhibition featuring 80 live geckos and 18 species. Visitors can experience the magnified world of more bugs by adding an IMAX® film during their visit. Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure, showing daily through September 30, follows the real-life adventure of a butterfly, a praying mantis and a variety of other rainforest insects. Value Pass tickets, which include Museum and IMAX® admission, are $23 for adults, $21 for students and seniors and $19 for children 12 and under, and only $8 for members. Call 404.929.6400 to order Value Pass tickets in advance.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta. For tickets or visitor information, visit fernbankmuseum.org or call 404.929.6300.

First Ever Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus Trip in Georgia

There will be a change of scenery for 12 Georgia youths as they go on a camping trip to public lands in Georgia – a first for many of them. The students, who will be armed with digital cameras, are participating in the Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus program, which gives young environmental leaders (Udall scholarship alumni) the opportunity to pass their knowledge to children who might never have seen a national park or spent time exploring a wilderness area.

Parks in Focus connects underserved youth to nature through the art of photography by introducing local Boys & Girls Club members to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the country. The Udall Foundation not only provides digital cameras to the young participants to use and keep, but also trains trip leaders to execute active, week-long, learning-intensive outings that explore national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands.

The trip will take a total of 12 underserved youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta to Cumberland Island National Seashore, Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, and Steven Foster State Park from June 14-18. This is the eleventh year that the Udall Foundation has hosted a Parks in Focus trip, but the first time it has run a trip in Georgia.

The Udall Foundation trip leaders are Bob Filbin, Udall Scholar 2004, Gillian Locascio, Udall Scholar 2007, Emily Baca, Udall Scholar 2009, and Ashley Dronenburg, Udall Scholar 2009. The participants also will be accompanied by representatives from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

The Udall Foundation was created initially to honor the legacy of the late Morris Udall, who represented Southern Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years. The late Stewart Udall, who also represented Southern Arizona in Congress from 1955 to 1961, was Morris Udall’s older brother. The two brothers were leaders in many policy areas, including natural resources and the environment and Native American issues. They worked together on many initiatives while Stewart Udall was Secretary of the Interior and Morris Udall a member of Congress. In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to honor Stewart Udall through the foundation, renaming it the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation.

The Udall Foundation carries on their legacies through a number of programs, among them, education programs designed to foster a passion and commitment for the nation’s natural resources in the next generation. Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus is one such program; it speaks directly to the first objective of the Foundation’s enabling legislation: “To increase the awareness of the importance of, and promote the benefit and enjoyment of, the nation’s natural resources.” The program began in Arizona with the Tucson Boys & Girls Clubs but has since expanded to support trips with Boys & Girls Clubs in California, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, and Washington. Since the program’s inception, approximately 300 youth have completed the Parks in Focus program.

For additional information, contact Libby Washburn at 505.332.9079 or washburn@udall.gov.
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http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://secallsforentries.blogspot.com/
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Monday, June 7, 2010

Fayette Mother and Son Together in Photography Show

Local photographer, Donna Rosser, has been entering photography show for a few years. You may even have heard about her workshops and exhibits. There is another Rosser photographer to keep an eye on – Bryant Rosser, her son. Donna and Bryant have been frequenting locations in Fayette County for the past few months shooting together. This month their work hangs together in the Simple Pleasures photography show at The Veranda in Senoia.

“I have given him a few pointers about setting and lenses, but his composition does not need my input,” said Donna. When the notice for the photo show came out, Donna had planned on sending in an entry. She is also on the schedule as a speaker June 12 at 2pm. As she prepared her entry, she thought about her son and decided to send in a couple of his photos. “It is funny; the one I thought would get in the show did not. But any photo in a show is a good thing,” Donna said. Bryant was very happy to learn his photo was accepted in the show and is looking forward to seeing it framed and on the wall. “This experience make me want to take more photos and enter more shows,” he said.

Donna Rosser is the owner of The Barefoot Photographer® and teaches workshops locally. You may see the pair of Rossers shooting car shows in the area – that is a favorite for them. When asked if there are any more photographers at home, Donna replied, “My daughter is not interested at the moment, but who knows. She received a Silver Key award in the Scholastic Art Competition when she was in 8th grade. My son just began a couple months ago and is doing very well for a beginner.”

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www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://backstagegeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
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Thursday, June 3, 2010

Todd Vinson Wet Plate Collodion Photography

Please join Serenbe Photography Center in welcoming Todd Vinson, photographer and artist from Maryland, to Serenbe Community where he will give a Dinner & Dialogue talk at 3:30 pm Friday at the Inn/Farmhouse, and workshop all day Saturday.

Todd is a master of the unusual "wet plate collodion" photographic process using large format cameras (including an 11 x 14!) with glass plate negatives which give appealing "vintage" look and highly creative results. His workshop will be filmed by GPTV. Please join us for his talk, which will include showing cameras and finished plates and slide show, or see Todd in action on Sat - contact Kathryn for more info and questions - cell 404-862-0118.

Todd Vinson will demonstrate wet plate collodion photography – with several cameras incl. very large (11 x14) format. The emulsion is put on the plate, image exposed & processed before drying, and then “fire” dried with an open flame to produce one of the most stable archival photographs ever invented. Used in the 1800’s before film, this process is now being adopted by photographers and artists looking for new expression with unpredictable elements. Workshop participants will gain hands-on experience with this process, and Todd will also explain how to make digital prints from the images.

Presentation Friday Jun 4, 3:30 – 5:30pm is free, but please RSVP, Todd will bring special cameras and plates in addition to slideshow
optional dinner afterward prix fixe $40. at the Farmhouse (family style with choice of entree, veg sides from Serenbe organic farms, assort. desserts)
presentation location: The Inn at Serenbe
Workshop is Sat 9-5 - $135 (educator or photography club discounts - press no fee)
Contact – Kathryn Kolb - Kathryn@serenbephotographycenter.com 404-862-0118
For more info or to register:
Dinner and Dialogue with Todd Vinson
Vintage Plate Collodion for the Contemporary Photographer
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www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://backstagegeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
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