‘Life Below the Waterline’ photography group show at Edmonds Library

Red-Trumpet Calcareous Tubeworm
Photo by Carl Baird

‘Life Below the Waterline’ photography group show through March 18 at Edmonds Library

The Edmonds Arts Commission presents underwater photography by Carl Baird, Drew Collins, Audrey Garbacik, Pat Gunderson, Bruce Kerwin and Jen Vanderhoof at the Edmonds Library, 650 Main St.

“Few of us know about the thousands of very small sea creatures that inhabit the nooks and crevices of the ocean floor,” says exhibit coordinator, Carl Baird. 

“Often, their bizarre shapes, colors, patterns, and behaviors give them a unique charisma that rival our fascination with the larger icons of the deep, if we just take a closer look.”

Lion's Mane Gold - 5x7
Photo by Drew Collins

‘Life Below the Waterline’ group show is an opportunity to take that closer look to see what makes underwater creatures so incredible to behold. Focused on the waters of Puget Sound and Salish Sea, each image is accompanied with a brief description of the animal or sea creature depicted.

Hooded Nudibranch
Photo by Audrey Garbacik

About the Photographers

Carl Baird (exhibit coordinator) has been diving since 1978 and has been taking underwater photos since 2011. Carl lives in Arlington. 

“To help the viewer estimate the size of an unfamiliar sea creature, I sometimes place a familiar household object in the photo frame. 

"By associating a familiar object with an unfamiliar marine creature, perhaps the viewer will develop a special appreciation for some of these unusual bottom dwellers of the sea.”

Stalked Jelly
Photo by Bruce Kerwin

Drew Collins, president and founder of Made In Puget Sound®, is a professional underwater photographer and videographer. 

He is the author of ‘Puget Sound Underwater’. 

His award-winning photography introduces viewers to the spectacular color and diverse life that abounds in our local waters.

Audrey Garbacik, a resident of the San Juan Islands, does most of her diving in the Salish Sea, but she has also dived in locations all around the globe. 

She credits her husband for her taking up underwater photography. 

“He wanted to see the wonders I would come home and try to describe”.

Kelp
Photo by Pat Gunderson

Pat Gunderson was certified to dive in 1985, and often dove with a camera. 

“The digital age gave me a way to quickly review and make changes. It was then I began to capture images that I wanted to share.” 

She does most of her diving in Puget Sound and British Columbia’s Emerald Sea.

Bruce Kerwin’s photography reflects his passion for exploring the depths of British Colombia’s Queen Charlotte Islands to the southern waters of Hood Canal. 

His images have earned him several awards. 

He has twice been a featured photographer in the Pacific Northwest Dive Magazine, had a solo photography show at the San Juan Island Museum of Art, and a yearlong show at the Seattle Aquarium.

Steller Sea Lion
Photo by Jen Vanderhoof

Jen Vanderhoof has been diving since 1997. A resident of Seattle, diving, especially cold-water diving, has been one of her longest-lived passions. 

“I bought all my gear the day after I hit the deep end of the pool during open water certification training and never looked back!” 

Vanderhoof considers underwater photography an endlessly challenging artistic medium, crediting her fellow divers for providing a constant source of motivation with their own beautiful images.

Edmonds Library hours are Mon – Thur, 9am-8pm; Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 1-5pm. The show is sponsored by the Edmonds Arts commission.