New Exhibit at The Gallery

Internationally acclaimed fine art photographer Matt Draper will be at The Gallery on Coast Village Road this Saturday, June 9, from 6 to 9 pm. 

Draper travels the oceans of the world to bring his creative vision into existence after spending countless hours in the water, learning to better understand each individual species he interacts with. The photographer, who says he attempts to use his images to foster love for the ocean instead of fear, prides himself on only using natural light. This, combined with his free-diving capabilities, makes for minimal disturbance when observing marine life.

The series that will be on display at The Gallery, titled Black, originated in early 2015, when Draper was photographing Galapagos and Sandbar sharks off the Hawaiian coast of Oahu. “Inspired by my own interactions with these incredible predators, I wanted to communicate, without distraction, the definitive characteristics and anatomy of these beautiful yet undeniably misunderstood sharks,” he said. 

Draper, who suffers from color blindness, says the series focuses purely on the animal subject; the animals appear suspended, not due to extensive photo-shopping or erasing background features, but by using the depth of the ocean to create a background rich in contrast before editing. “This enables appreciation of the finer details and provides unique access to animals that are rarely viewed by humans,” he said. The series has been carefully composed while maintaining two important rules: all images are photographed under natural light while using a single breath.

Each photograph is printed in limited numbers. The show at The Gallery will donate a portion of the proceeds to Mission Blue, a nonprofit that brings awareness and support to various marine conservation groups. 

The Gallery is located at 1277 Coast Village Road.