Florida photographers are ready for their close up. From documenting the culture of Florida’s last stand to capturing eternal moments in the Everglades you can see their work showcased in exhibits and their own galleries.
Plus, and this comes as a surprise, there are several museums devoted to lens art from traditional images to cutting edge technology.
The Southeast Museum of Photography, part of Daytona State College, resides on campus in a contemporary new building, all curves, soaring ceilings, rising staircases and lovely lighting – conveniently located on one of Daytona’s busiest streets – International Speedway Boulevard.
Florida photographers – Southeast Museum of Photography
Walking into this museum for the first time last month was a delightful surprise. We have something in Florida this nice devoted to photography? Who knew? I came with a group from the Webber Gallery at Central Florida College in Ocala. We were all pretty stunned. With 9,000 feet of gallery space, give yourself ample time to wander. Admission is free.
Current exhibits include “The Touch of Nature” – Florida through the lens of the Orlando Camera Club, Departures VI, a juried show of graduating student photographers from Daytona State College and the University of Central Florida and two other exhibits.
Check Web site for times. Closed on Mondays and some school breaks including July 31-Aug.17 and again at Christmas and Spring Break.
Web site: http:’//www.smponline.org
Address: 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Building 1200, Daytona Beach, Florida, phone (386) 506-4475.
Find Florida Photographers in museums and galleries
In Tampa, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is located at 200 N. Tampa Street, Suite 130, phone (813) 221-2222. The entrance is the corner of Jackson Street and Ashley Drive. Web site: http://www.fmopa.org
Admission is $10 for non-members (or, as they like to say: not-yet members). They too are closed on Mondays. Check Web site for hours. Current exhibit is “Classic Images: Photography by Ansel Adams” but to see this one you must hurry, the last day is July 6.
On July 20, FMoPA presents “Your 15 Minutes of Fame” where six members get 15 minutes to do show and tell about their photographs. They will do this 15 Minute event again on September 21 and November 9. In addition, the 11th annual member’s show runs from July 19 through August 30.
Richard Bickel traveled the world photographing different cultures. Bickel came to Apalachicola in 1994 to document oystermen harvesting their crop with their long tongs. He decided to capture the culture of what he calls “Florida’s last stand.”
Richard Bickel in Apalachicola. Photo supplied by Richard Bickel
He is still here, still documenting, producing books (“The Last Great Bay” among others) and prints that are showcased in his gallery at 81 Market Place, Apalachicola, phone (850) 653-3900. Web site: http://www.richardbickelphotography.com
Bickel’s black and white and sepia-toned photographs are breath-taking close ups of bay life laced with a twinge of sadness – one photo is looking through the netting of a shrimp boat and the viewer knows deep in the gut that someday this way of life, already endangered, will become extinct.
Florida Photographer Clyde Butcher works in black and white
Let’s leave the Forgotten Coast, travel down the spine of Florida and arrive at Ochopee where Clyde Butcher has a gallery on the Tamiami Trail.
The Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee, Florida, phone (239) 695-2428, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Web site: http://www.clydebutcher.com
Florida photographers – Big Cypress Gallery
Butcher wades into the Everglades with a large format camera and equipment that adds up to 135 pounds to carry around. After hours of looking he captures moments of clarity that are monumental in any size.
Here is what Jean Michael Cousteau, explorer, environmentalist and film maker, has to say about Butcher’s work:
“People protect what they love. But you can’t protect what you don’t understand. Clyde Butcher makes us want to understand, because he touches our hearts and our heads follow.”
I visited the Big Cypress Gallery this week (he also has a gallery and studio in Venice, Florida). Walking around the gallery rooms it was too much to take in once around so I walked the walk twice to view prints and books. His books include “Cuba”, “Florida Landscape”, “Big Cypress Swamp”, “Millennium”, “America the Beautiful”, “Nature’s Places of Spiritual Beauty”.
What is it about black and white photography that makes us step into an alternate world and look at familiar things like trees and water in a whole new way? I don’t know the answer but there is an inner beauty in black and white photographs that can get lost in the vibrant loudness of color.
Honestly, confession time, I could not begin to afford a Butcher print but appreciation of his work is free. I indulged and did not walk out empty-handed, his note cards fit my budget perfectly.
As summer weather curtails outdoor activity, do consider moving indoors for your adventures. Visit photography museums and galleries for inspiration. Florida photographers are ready for their close ups.
©2011 Lucy Beebe Tobias, all rights reserved. www.Lucytobias.com
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