May 7 Sports Photography Program at Old Independence Regional Museum (Posted by Ginger Smith)
May 7 Sports Photography Program at Old Independence Regional Museum
Old Independence Regional Museum is offering its fourth monthly program on the subject of “Our Teams – Our Pride” on Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. It will focus on taking photographs of athletes and athletic events. Photographs provide a lasting record of athletic contests and the participating athletes. Families who attend these events often take snapshots with their smart phones in an attempt to capture the moment and share with others. The museum is offering additional clues in how to take even better photographs during these fast-paced sports events.
Their featured speaker will be David Thomas, professor of biology at Lyon College and an active semi-professional photographer. Dr. Thomas is a native of Yakima, Washington, and received his Doctor of Philosophy in Biology from the University of Idaho. He and his family reside in Batesville where, in addition to his teaching, he conducts research in speleobiology and astrobiology. He is affiliated with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a volunteer Solar System Ambassador.
“My newest project involves searching for chemosynthetic bacteria in caves, which may be useful models for extraterrestrial life. As we explore the caves, we also monitor populations of bats, amphibians and other cave animals,” Dr. Thomas said.
Locally, not only does he enjoy exploring and taking photos inside caves, but also likes to focus on documenting sports events. When he and his family arrived at Lyon in 1999, Dr. Thomas started photographing volleyball matches as an experiment. Players, coaches, and parents were pleased with the results, and he was asked to photograph basketball and baseball games as well. Since then most Lyon College athletic teams have been the subjects of his photographic interest.
“The primary reasons that I shoot sports is for my own edification and for the student-athletes and their families,” Dr. Thomas maintains. During his museum program he will share many of his athletic photographs and explain how he managed to know how and when to get the best shot.
Twyla Wright, museum exhibit curator, not only invites the public to attend this photographic program, but to attend each monthly athletic program leading up to the grand opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit titled “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America.” It will be installed in December.
The program will be free and open to the public. Normal museum hours are: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children. The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.
Old Independence is a regional museum serving a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820’s Arkansas territory.
