World ClassUnderwater Photography in Cayman
Cathy Church
Residents and visitors alike will have theopportunity to see world-class underwater photography during theSkin Diver Film Festival to be held on Thursday, January 24, 2002at 7:00PM at the Grand Cayman Marriott.
Featuring the work of David Doubilet, CathyChurch and Al Hornsby, and the Cayman Islands Tourism Authoritysaid the presentations promise to be fascinating and highly interesting.
David Doubilet's presentation is titled"Great White Sharks and Other Fascinating Creatures of theSea". Mr. Doubilet will be displaying and openly discussinghis new and unpublished images of the Great White Shark from hisrecent trips to South Africa and Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
David Doubilet,Al Hornsby
David Doubilet began snorkeling at the age of eight in the cold,green seas off the northern New Jersey coast. By 13, he was takingblack-and-white pictures above and below the sea with his firstcamera, a pre-war Leica. Doubilet's photography has won many prizes.Among them, the prestigious Sara Prize and International Awardgiven by Mondo Sommerso magazine in Italy. He was the first Americanand youngest person to win this award. In 1975, Doubilet was namedDiver of the Year by the Boston Sea Rovers, one of the divingworld's most respected organizations.
Doubilet's most recent book Water LightTime was published in July 1999. He is presently a contract freelancephotographer for the National Geographic Society where he hassteadily worked for 28 years, and is now one of the newest inducteesinto the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.
Cathy Church will present "Descending."A beautiful and enjoyable arrangement of underwater images ofGrand Cayman with custom-tailored music to accompany.
Cathy Church has been photographing theunderwater world since 1967. She received the NOGI award for thearts in 1987, the DEMA "Reaching Out Award" in 2000and was inducted into Woman Divers Hall of Fame the same year.Church is well known for many styles of photography from documentaryand editorial to gallery art. She shot the award-winning CaymanIslands underwater poster "Wonderland".
She was photo editor for Skin Diver for15 years and her work has appeared in dozens of books and magazine.Cathy and her husband, Herb Rafael, live in Grand Cayman wherethey teach underwater photography and operate Cathy Church's UnderwaterPhoto Centre and Gallery at Sunset House.
Al Hornsby presents "Night Moves".A three projector presentation of the wonders that the night bringsto the undersea world. A fascinating and mysterious worldwideunderwater voyage to explore the creatures that "go bumpin the night".
Al Hornsby has been diving since 1962, whenhe discovered the undersea world of Micronesia at the age of 12.Hornsby entered the dive industry full-time as a dive instructorin 1976. He moved on to become one of the principals at PADI,where he worked for 20 years. In 1998, he joined Skin Diver, theculmination of a childhood dream, where he serves as Group Publisher.Hornsby now specializes in underwater and wildlife photography;frequently visiting many of the world's most remote and beautifulplaces.
Anyone with an interest in seeing beautifulworld-class underwater photography and getting an opportunityto meet the photographers will greatly enjoy this rare event.
The event is jointly organized by Skin DiverMagazine and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, and sponsoredby Divers Alert Network and Stingray Brewery.
Tickets are available from the Red SailSports Office in Coconut Place, Bob Soto's Reef Divers' Office(SMB Shops), Don Foster's Dive Cayman, Sunset House and the CaymanIslands Tourism Association in the Islander Complex.
Tickets are pre-selling for $12 for adultsand $8 for children under 12 years and tickets at the door are$15 per person.
The Film Festival follows one day afterthe Induction Ceremony to the International Scuba Diving Hallof Fame, which will be held on Wednesday, January 23, 2002 from6:00PM at the Harquail Theatre.
Tickets for this event are $25.00 and canbe obtained from Jacqui Bush at the Ministry of Tourism, phone244 2455 or email Jacqui.Bush@gov.ky.