Alligators, Lizards, and Insects: Local Photographers to Display Photos of Wonderful Wildlife at the Hingham Public Library Tonight

Local photographers Lynne Shackleton Ford and Elizabeth M. Ryan are featuring their photo essay, "Spring Island: A Magical Place," at the Clemens Gallery at the Hingham Public Library  through April 28.

 An opening reception will be held tonight from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“We’ve been photographing together for 10 years,” said Ryan.  “We’re people who go out and photograph a lot and we might be photographing the same thing but we might come at it from a different angle or different perspective.”

 The exhibit of 21 photographs focuses on Spring Island, one of the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.  Part of the island is preserved in a natural trust, and part is a gated community.

“It’s an attempt to preserve the ecosystem and let people live there at the same time,” said Ryan.  “There are tidal rivers and salt marshes, and low hills called ‘hammocks’ that provide rooting for herring, and egrets and pelicans…There are photographs of live oaks, pine trees, alligators and lizards – wonderful wildlife and insects.”

 Ryan said she and Ford were charmed by the quality of the light and the fascinating ecosystem that’s there.

 “We were there during the time when the egrets were mating and hatching and raising their young,” said Shackleton Ford.  “We’re trying to showcase the wonderful wildlife and beautiful scenery of the island.”

 The artists hope that families take advantage of the exhibit, including an I-Spy scavenger hunt, during April school vacation.

 “We have a lot of big pictures of interesting looking animals that I think children probably haven’t seen before,” said Shackleton Ford.

 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Lynne Shackleton Ford developed an interest in fine art Black/White and Color photography while an art student at the UNH where she received a BA in Art. She has been actively photographing ever since. She focuses on nature subjects, particularly from the local sanctuaries and open spaces near her home in Marshfield. She has worked in the graphic arts field for over 30 years as a graphic artist and pre-press technical manager.

 In 2003, Lynne migrated from traditional film and darkroom processes to an entire digital workflow. In 2005, Lynne began creating pieces with Corel Painter which allowed her to combine her fine art training with her own photography to create original digital art.

 Elizabeth M. Ryan graduated from Pratt Institute of Art in 1973 with a major in painting, and a minor in photography. She worked as a photographer's assistant in New York City, doing a combination of photo journalism, industrial and advertising photography, and darkroom work. During that time, she was selected to participate in a young artists' group show, in Copenhagen, Denmark. She started working with digital cameras in 2000 and began a series of tutorials and collaborations with her friend and mentor, Lynne Shackelton Ford.