Travel Perspectives: Explore, Experience, Connect

Sep 2: 6-9PM Opening Reception
Oct 7: 6-9PM Closing Reception

Artist presentations:
Sep 9: 6-9PM talk at 7:30PM Peter Thoeny: Creative Composition in the Field
Sep 17: 3-6PM talk at 4:30PM Pam Perkins: How to Photograph Strangers
Sep 21: 6-9PM talk at 7:30PM John Gayler: Icelandic Adventure
Sep 28: 6-9PM talk at 7:30PM John Gayler: Grand Canyon Adventure
Sep 30: 6-9PM talk at 7:30PM Peter Thoeny: Introduction to HDR Photography
Oct 5: 6-9PM talk at 7:30PM John Gayler: Cuba Yesterday and Today

Perspective: Explore — John Gayler Photography

John creates compelling imagery guided by the challenges and rewards of exploration, both local and remote.
A thirst for adventure began as a teenager in the UK, with whitewater kayaking, rock climbing and alpine hiking. The journeys grew longer and further afield, with a thousand-mile bicycle tour across France and Spain, an overland drive from London to Istanbul, and fieldwork in the Sahara. Photographs have always been a key part in the effort to communicate my experiences to others. After a career as an entrepreneur developing imaging software for scientific researchers to quantify details in images at various scales ranging from satellite imaging to cellular microscopy, I concentrated on photographing people and places with a goal to inspire and encourage others to challenge themselves and go do it.




​Perspective: Experience — Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography 

Peter combines creative compositions with careful application of HDR processing to recreate a scene as experienced with his own eyes.I learned composition when creating artwork with pencil, charcoal and brush while visiting Italy and other European countries. I love to travel, and have been fascinated with photography since leaving Switzerland for Japan. I now live in the Silicon Valley for 20+ years, and am an instructor at the Digital Photo Academy, teaching creative composition in the San Francisco Bay Area. I also offer event photography with my creative style. I specializes in naturally looking HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. Contact me to discuss your photography needs!




​Perspective: Connect — Pam Perkins 

Pam demonstrates how to connect with strangers with a visual language, bringing home a viewpoint on human contact from around the globe that few can match.When I retired in 2002, my husband, Bruce Berger, and I began traveling frequently to remote countries on the brink of change. That's when things shifted drastically and something unique happened. The best way to describe it is to say that I gave birth to my creative side. I wanted to take pictures again. It was on a trip to Papua New Guinea in 2004 when I came in contact with indigenous people I'd only previously seen in National Geographic magazines. They were exotic and unique. That's when my interest in photographing people resurfaced and deepened. It was that early experience of photographing these exotic tribes that guided my craft as a photographer for the last twenty years. I've been photographing people ever since. I believe it is my ability to personally connect with people that enables me to photograph them in such a way as to reveal their humanity and share their story.





Presentation: Creative Composition in the Field — Peter Thoeny Sep 09, 6-9PM, talk @ 7:30PM
What makes a compelling image? What draws a viewer in, what keeps them coming back to look at an image? What generates the subconscious double-take? It has a lot to do with two primary themes: composition and emotional connection. This talk introduces various compositional techniques you can draw upon to create images that stand out.
In this talk you will learn:


  • Balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial
  • Framing, foreground, background
  • Proportions
  • Vantage point
  • Patterns
  • Colors and contrast
  • Color vs black and white
  • Leading lines, flow, entry and exit point
  • Be in the flow, curiosity, synchronicity
  • Build an emotional connection


Presentation: How to Photograph Strangers — Pam Perkins Sep 17, 3-6PM, talk @ 4:30PM
Pam Perkins will share with you her techniques for photographing strangers she meets while traveling around the world. As someone who has visited 77 countries in the last twenty years, Pam has photographed hundreds of people on the street and in their homes in places like Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Despite not knowing their language, she manages to develop a relationship with people through skills she has developed since childhood when she grew up in a motel in New Hampshire and talked with different strangers every day. It is through these short relationships that she is able to put people at ease so that they portray their true self, which is evident when you see her work.
Regarding this exhibit Pam will explain how she went about selecting the photographs, curated them, and prepared them for exhibition.


Presentation: Icelandic Adventure — John Gayler Sep 21, 6-9PM, talk @ 7:30PM
Iceland is a tiny country the size of New York state, but with outsize geographical variety. The landscape offers plenty of photographic inspiration with features including: glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, hot and cold running rivers, black sand beaches, lush valleys and desert plains, and puffins! As a bonus the population of under 350,000 is mostly concentrated in the capital city making for a lot of remote areas where you can enjoy your adventure in solitude. 
In this talk we examine the logistics of planning and implementing a self-supported trip. We visit the popular sites of the Golden Circle close to the capital, get farther afield on a thousand mile journey driving around the ring road, explore the remote Western Highlands where seabirds are countless and the people are few, and get far off the beaten track venturing into the interior by mountain bike. For those that have heard me speak on this before, this talk has new material including photographs from the recent volcanic eruptions. 


Presentation: Grand Canyon Adventure — John Gayler Sep 28, 6-9PM, talk @ 7:30PM
Grand Canyon Adventure - A Travel Photography Presentation
In this talk we cover the details of planning, logistics and execution for a two-week outfitter-led river trip through the Grand Canyon, including still photography and some live action video footage. But it's not all about the water! Side canyon hikes, wildlife, geology, prehistoric and modern culture, natural beauty and an immense scale of time and space all play a part in the story as well.
If you are thinking of going and want to know more about what it's like, have been already and would like to re-live the adventure, or don't think you'll go but would like to enjoy the experience vicariously, climb on board for the trip of a lifetime.


Presentation: Introduction to HDR Photography — Peter Thoeny Sep 30, 6-9PM, talk @ 7:30PM
HDR photographer Peter Thoeny will introduce you to the world of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. He focuses on creative compositions that tell a story and visualize experiences, and realizes that by carefully applying HDR processing to recreate a scene on screen and print as experienced with his own eyes.
In this talk you will learn:


  • Basic concepts of HDR
  • Dynamic range of human eye, camera sensor, screens and print
  • When to use and when not to use HDR processing
  • Bracketed exposures, night exposures for HDR
  • Camera sensor and HDR
  • Hands on HDR processing from RAW image(s) to final image
  • Compare good and "overcooked" HDR processing
  • See sample quality HDR images for inspiration


Presentation: Cuba Yesterday and Today — John Gayler Oct 05, 6-9PM, talk @ 7:30PM
Cuba is a beautiful country with friendly vibrant people, but, it's complicated. Getting in and out for Americans is not straightforward, groceries or fuel can be unreliable and time consuming problems, even buying a ticket to go on a hiking trail. But Cubans are resourceful ingenious problem solvers, and the country operates on a multitude of economic strata. Finding accommodation and transport open to Americans, enjoying the outdoor opportunities in towns and villages away from Havana are all made easier when you realize that things are, well, flexible if you look in the right places or find the right people. We will visit Havana for nightlife, culture, architecture, cars, food, art and some photographic history in person, Vinales for some jungle, caves, rum and cigars, and Trinidad for a time capsule struggling to coexist with modern times.
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