This is your source for information on San Francisco Bay Area exhibitions, talks, artist receptions, and workshops for people interested in photography. Our focus is on events that are free or are sponsored by non-profit/educational organizations.
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Meanwhile ... last chance to see these events! They will end within the next 2 weeks:
Event Type: SHOW
2024-04-19 to 2025-06-06
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Event is Free
Hours: Mon 10:00 AM-5:30 PM; Tue - Thu 9:00 AM-7:30 PM; Fri 12:00 PM-5:30 PM; Sat 10:00 AM-5:30 PM; Sun 12:00 PM-4:30 PM;
For more information:
On view at the Fulton and Larkin Street entrances, outside of the Main Children’s Center and on the 5th and 6th floors.
Local photographer and retired social worker, Judi Iranyi, photographed the Tenderloin community during the years 2014 – 2016. Iranyi wanted to share the “real” Tenderloin, home to San Francisco's most integrated and diverse population and with the highest percentage of children. Iranyi documents activities in public spaces, including Tenderloin National Forest, Father Alfred E Boeddeker Park, Tenderloin Rec Center, TNDC Tenderloin People’s Garden and Sunday Streets as well as activities and events of nonprofit organizations La Voz Latina and Safe passage.
Selection of images courtesy of Judi Iranyi Photographs of the Tenderloin, San Francisco History Center.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-02-08 to 2025-05-31
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Golden Gate Park, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Event is Free
Hours: Mon - Sun 7:30 AM-5:00 PM;
For more information:
Join us in the Helen Crocker Russell library to celebrate Structural Beauty: Photographs of the San Francisco Botanical Garden. In this enchanting new exhibition, Mark Citret captures the physical beauty of plants through his chosen language of the black and white photograph.
Mark Citret’s work is represented by prominent photography galleries in the United States, and is in many museum, corporate, and private collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Monterey Museum of Art. A monograph of his photographs, Along the Way, was published by Custom & Limited Editions, San Francisco, in 1999.
Opening reception for Structural Beauty: Photographs of the San Francisco Botanical Gardenon February 8, 2025 from 2 - 4 PM.
Event Type: WORKSHOP
2025-02-19 to 2025-05-31
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Non-Resident $90.00, Resident $80.00
For more information:
Discover the magic of lumens! Arrange flat objects like leaves, petals, or lace on photographic paper to create an 8x10 artistic collage. Bring your own items for this fun photogram experience.
Activity meeting dates: May 31, 2025, Sat 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
Event Type: WORKSHOP
2025-03-02 to 2025-05-31
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Non-Resident $90.00, Resident $80.00
For more information:
May 31, 2025 Sat 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Discover the magic of lumens! Arrange flat objects like leaves, petals, or lace on photographic paper to create an 8x10 artistic collage. Bring your own items for this fun photogram experience.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-05-10 to 2025-06-01
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
Event is Free
Hours: Wed - Fri 12:00 AM-12:00 AM; Sat - Sun 12:00 PM-4:00 PM;
For more information:
The Center for Photographic Art is pleased to present the work of the 2024 CPA Artist Grant Recipients. Visit the gallery to see new photographs, installations, and mixed media pieces by grantees Debra Achen, Matthew Finley, Maria Isabel LeBlanc, and Katie Shapiro.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-04-05 to 2025-05-31
Rena Bransten Gallery
1275 Minnesota St., Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA 94107
Event is Free
Hours: Tue - Sat 11:00 AM-5:00 PM;
For more information:
Wendel A. White's photographic project, Schools for the Colored, delves into the legacy of racial segregation in America's educational system. The series is an extension of White's earlier work, Small Towns, Black Lives, and continues his exploration of the African American landscape. Through his lens, White captures the architectural remnants of segregated schools that are scattered across the Northern "free" states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. These schoolhouses, located on the boundary between the North and the South, represent an unresolved past for White and remain "one of the enduring spaces for the definition of race and class identity in the American landscape."
White's photographs move beyond mere representations of historical buildings; they are poignant narratives that continue to resonate in the present. Drawing inspiration from W.E.B. Du Bois' description of being "shut out from their world by a vast veil" as an African American, White employs a digital imaging technique that obscures the landscape surrounding the schools, symbolizing a "veil" of racial segregation. In instances where the schoolhouses no longer exist, White inserts silhouettes, either representing the original structures, or interpreting what they may have looked like. His silhouettes serve as ghostly memorials, reminding viewers of a past that still haunts the American psyche.
In Schools for the Colored, White documents the remnants of segregated schools and challenges viewers to confront the legacies of racial segregation. His photographs serve as a testament to the resilience of the African American community and are a reminder of the barriers that have been overcome and of those that still exist. Over seven decades since the landmark ruling of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), White's work prompts us to reflect on the monumental journey that still lies ahead.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-05-09 12:00 AM to 2025-06-01 11:00 PM
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2151 Ferry Point, Radium Runway, Alameda, CA
Event is Free
For more information:
In Plain Site is not just a photography exhibit—it’s a visual journey into our future. This free, three-week outdoor exhibition held this spring transforms the Alameda Point shoreline into an open-air gallery, showcasing stunning collections from both international and local photographers. Through powerful imagery, the event illuminates the pathways to a more climate-positive world.
The festival kicks off with a dynamic opening celebration featuring artist talks, hands-on workshops, guided photo walks, interactive crafts, and activities for all ages. In Plain Site is a call to action—an invitation to explore the urgent realities of sea-level rise and climate change through the lens of photography.
Organized by Radium Presents and West End Arts District, in partnership with Photoville, this unique and impactful celebration transforms public space into a platform for inspiration, education, and change.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-04-04 to 2025-05-25
East Bay Photo Collective
312 8th St, Oakland Photo Workshop, Oakland, CA 94607-4210
Event is Free
Hours: Fri - Sun 12:00 PM-7:00 PM;
For more information:
website: www.ebpco.org
Announcing EBPCO’s upcoming exhibition: Spaces & Faces: A Portrait of the Bay Area, in partnership with @pamplemousse.magazine!
This exhibition is at its core an extension of Pamplemousse Magazine’s mission to support emerging artists and provide a platform for photographers who shoot film to share their work.
Curated by Pamplemousse founder Nora Lalle and Associate Editor Camilia Gutiérrez Cordova the exhibition pulls inspiration from Pamplemousse’s Spring release: THE BALANCE ISSUE, specifically the exploration of different types of portraiture.
This group exhibition brings together five photographers, each with their own unique style and perspective. The juxtaposition of portraits of places (spaces!) and portraits of people (faces!), creates a well BALANCED overall portrait of the Bay Area. With a mix of street photography, landscapes and traditional portraits (all shot on film!), the exhibition aims to immerse viewers into the experience of what it’s like to live here.
Featuring work by: Joanna Malpica @joannalmalpica Angela Marlaud @fantastikplastic Bejan Siavoshy @bigbej Marcus Valderrama @macvaldee Demondre Ward @dre.wick
Opening Reception and Magazine Release Party Friday, April 4th, 6-9pm.
Event Type: OPENING
2025-05-31 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Fraenkel Gallery
49 Geary St, 4th floor, San Francisco, CA 94108
Event is Free
For more information:
Fraenkel Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of photographs by Richard Learoyd, continuing his painterly exploration of classical subjects using exacting photographic techniques. Highlights include new studies of ancient trees printed on gessoed canvas; large-scale views of the Grand Canyon, made with Learoyd’s massive, hand-built camera obscura; and still lifes depicting red and pink poppies. The show also marks the debut of new photographs Learoyd made in collaboration with renowned ceramicist Frances Palmer. For the exhibition, Palmer created a vase based on drawings made by Learoyd, who in turn photographed the vessel in his studio, overflowing with flowers.
A public reception with Learoyd and Palmer will take place on Saturday, May 31, from 1-4pm.
Exhibit will be on view May 29–Aug 9, 2025.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-04-05 to 2025-05-31
Jack Fischer Gallery - Minnesota St
1275 Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA 94107
Event is Free
Hours: Tue - Sat 11:00 AM-5:00 PM;
For more information:
We are honored and proud to bring the work of Patricia Lagarde, photographer, book artist, and conceptualist. Her work will be shown together with Byron Ryono, sculptor and avid birder, in an exhibit called forma pura/ pure form.
In this show we attempt to present two philosophies that deal with an ancient, anxious melancholy that explores the unattainability of the moon and its relationship to earth. Together we are given glimpses of the skies and the earthly firmament.
Lagarde’s photographs offer us a front row seat to the sky and all its poetry. The moon series becomes an actual tone poem and ode to a wonderful and hopeless attempt to trap the light. Isn’t that what photographs actually do? She attempts to capture this evanescence of the moon with the lightest thinnest possible scrim, making that nightly event even more fugitive. Patricia Lagarde lives and works in Mexico City. She has a deep and abiding interest in early photography processes, such as using glass ambrotypes to print via piezography. This is a printing technique that uses 7 different levels of gray ink versus the typical printing that will use only 3 grades.
Reception for the artists April 5 4-6 p.m.
Event Type: WORKSHOP
2025-04-04 to 2025-05-24
East Bay Photo Collective
312 8th St, Oakland Photo Workshop, Oakland, CA 94607-4210
Event is Free
For more information:
website: www.ebpco.org
Saturday, May 24 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.
Do you have a film camera sitting in your closet or collecting dust in an attic, inherited from a relative or borrowed from a friend, or recently purchased at a yard sale or on eBay? Bring your cameras and question to this informal workshop where we will share with others and with EPBCO member and film camera obsessive Philip Krayna (aka “Dr. Philm). Philip will test and assess your camera, explain how to use it, and help with minor repairs if possible, so you can start enjoying the magic of film photography!
This is a FREE Workshop, but advance registration is required!
Event Type: SHOW
2025-04-04 to 2025-05-31
Frank Bette Center for the Arts
1601 Paru Street, Alameda, CA 94501
Event is Free
Hours: Thu - Sun 11:00 AM-5:00 PM;
For more information:
website: www.frankbettecenter.org
Alameda on Camera is an annual, juried event conducted throughout the City of Alameda. For 48 hours, beginning 9:00 pm Friday and ending 9:00 pm Sunday, 48 photo-based adult artists and our youth artists roam the City of Alameda and capture images of neighborhood, favorite places, secret hideaways and, if they choose, spotlight families, friends and famous (and infamous!) town characters.
Event Type: FUND RAISER
2025-06-05 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
PhotoAlliance
Sunnyside Conservatory, 236 Monterey Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94131
Event is Free
For more information:
Join Creative Director Linda Connor and the PhotoAlliance board as we celebrate the close of our 2024–2025 season and another remarkable year of PhotoAlliance programs!
This year, we found a welcoming home within the Fort Mason arts community while continuing to host workshops, present virtual lectures, and showcase the Insight/Incite 20/20 Portfolio in collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission.
We also strengthened our partnerships with incredible organizations, including the San Francisco Arts Commission, Harvey Milk Photo Center, SF Camerawork at Fort Mason, First Exposures, Haines Gallery, the Bolinas Museum, The Image Flow, and BATS Improv Theatre.
Proceeds from this year’s dinner will directly support our Fall 2025 lecture series, funding artist stipends, travel, and our lecture venue rental at Fort Mason.
PhotoAlliance thrives through community support. Thank you for keeping us strong!
Event Type: ONLINE ARTIST TALK
2025-06-02 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Random Posts
, San Francisco, CA
Event is Free
For more information:
Join us for our June Spotlight Talk, featuring a conversation on the exhibition Metaphors of Recent Times with exhibiting artists Anni Löppönen (BFA 2010) and Lance Shields (BFA 1992), moderated by curator Beth Davila Waldman (BFA 2005). Together, they will explore the intersection of personal, political, and cultural narratives within their work.
Anni Löppönen is a Finnish photographer whose work explores themes of resilience, identity, and the passage of time. Through visual storytelling, she examines both personal and collective experiences, creating images that evoke introspection and emotional depth. Her practice often delves into the nuances of memory, transformation, and the human condition, using photography as a medium to navigate and reflect on these themes. Löppönen’s work has been exhibited internationally, resonating with audiences through its poetic and contemplative approach.
Lance Shields is a San Francisco-based design director, product designer, and photographer with over two decades of experience in design and strategy. He holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MBA from McGill University. Throughout his career, he has led creative teams at global agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and his own design firm, working with brands such as Adobe, Red Bull, Visa, Zipcar, and ADP. His work has earned multiple accolades, including Webby, W3, and Davey Awards. As a photographer, Shields explores themes of urban life, human interaction, and visual storytelling, blending his design sensibilities with a keen photographic eye.
Event Type: ONLINE WORKSHOP
2025-04-11 to 2025-05-29
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
General Admission $675.00, CPA Members $600.00
For more information:
Thursdays, May 29 - June 26, 2025 (5 weeks)
Limit 8
Fine art photography translates ideas into images, and images into a voice. But how do you transform your personal vision into a meaningful body of work?
Irrespective of the genre – be it landscape, still life, portraiture, nature, abstraction, photojournalism, self-portrait, or documentary – authenticity and emotional connection is the root of every image we create. And defining what we want our work to convey is a skill that needs to be honed and nourished.
Through classroom discussions, written and shooting exercises, critiques and portfolio reviews, this class will provide students the tools to articulate their vision and create a meaningful long-term body of work. We will also discuss practical topics such as long-term project development, statements, sequencing and portfolio editing.
Upon conclusion of the class, students will achieve a deeper connection to their own artistic voice, a clearer understanding of what they wish to communicate through their photographs and a pathway toward a unique, intentional and thoughtful personal project
Event Type: SHOW
2025-04-19 to 2025-05-30
The Image Flow
328 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960
Event is Free
Hours: Mon - Fri 10:00 AM-6:00 PM;
For more information:
This year’s Gallery Exhibition features a compelling selection of student photographs from our Photo Challenge workshop — a dynamic and creative space where participants are encouraged to slow down, look more closely, and truly see the world through their lenses.
This Photo Challenge workshop centers around self-directed projects. Students are supported and gently guided by instructors, but ultimately given the freedom to follow their curiosity and pursue ideas that speak to them personally. The culmination is a diverse collection of images that reflect not only technical growth, but a deepening connection to observation, storytelling, and artistic voice.
We’re proud to share these 16 images and hope this exhibition inspires you as much as these students have inspired us.
Featured Artists: Steve Besselman, Greta Carlström, Bob Dell, Margo James, Stephen Janachowski, Allyson Josephs, Micki Keno, Suz Lipman, Lisa Newmark, Lelah Nichol, Firouzeh Nourzad, Richard Sloss, & Mike Tiret
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 5–7 PM
Event Type: OPENING
2025-06-07 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
Event is Free
For more information:
On view June 7 - July 27, 2025 Artists Talk: June 7, 3:00 - 4:30pm, Carpenter Hall at the Sunset Center
This exhibition is generously supported by the Wildcat Cove Foundation.
The Center for Photographic Art is pleased to present Embracing Light, a unique two-person exhibition featuring the work of renowned fine art photographers Anne Larsen and John Sexton. They have been sharing a life together along with their passion for photography and exploring the land with large and medium format film cameras, for over thirty years. Their mutual devotion to the beauty of the handcrafted silver gelatin print, created in the traditional darkroom, lies at the heart of their artistic expression.
Included in this exhibition, for the first time, will be a body of work they undertook over multiple photographic journeys exploring Venice, Italy. The exhibit will also include stunning images of the natural environment, as well as human-made subjects. For both photographers the use of light as it graces the subject, and its use throughout the photographic process, is essential. Though their palettes are different, both Anne's and John's prints share a common beauty and luminosity.
Evan Russel, Curator at The Ansel Adams Gallery—which represents both Anne and John—offers this reflection on their work: “When looking at a photograph by Anne Larsen or John Sexton, I am immediately transported to an emphatic place of quiet light; there is a familiarity and fellowship with each subject regardless of its whereabouts or any notion of its prior existence. The darkest aspen forests glow, ice playfully masquerades as a sea of cumulus clouds, and the dazzling morning sun scattered through fog is shrouding. I feel connected, focused, and welcome. Emanating from the silver prints by both Anne and John is this tacit notion of truth; of genuine places communicating a sympathetic sublimity that is unique yet somehow universal to us all.”
Event Type: ARTIST TALK
2025-06-07 3:00 PM - 4:40 PM
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, Carpenter Hall at the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
Event is Free
For more information:
On view June 7 - July 27, 2025 Opening reception: June 7, 4:30 - 6:00pm
This exhibition is generously supported by the Wildcat Cove Foundation.
The Center for Photographic Art is pleased to present Embracing Light, a unique two-person exhibition featuring the work of renowned fine art photographers Anne Larsen and John Sexton. They have been sharing a life together along with their passion for photography and exploring the land with large and medium format film cameras, for over thirty years. Their mutual devotion to the beauty of the handcrafted silver gelatin print, created in the traditional darkroom, lies at the heart of their artistic expression.
Included in this exhibition, for the first time, will be a body of work they undertook over multiple photographic journeys exploring Venice, Italy. The exhibit will also include stunning images of the natural environment, as well as human-made subjects. For both photographers the use of light as it graces the subject, and its use throughout the photographic process, is essential. Though their palettes are different, both Anne's and John's prints share a common beauty and luminosity.
Evan Russel, Curator at The Ansel Adams Gallery—which represents both Anne and John—offers this reflection on their work: “When looking at a photograph by Anne Larsen or John Sexton, I am immediately transported to an emphatic place of quiet light; there is a familiarity and fellowship with each subject regardless of its whereabouts or any notion of its prior existence. The darkest aspen forests glow, ice playfully masquerades as a sea of cumulus clouds, and the dazzling morning sun scattered through fog is shrouding. I feel connected, focused, and welcome. Emanating from the silver prints by both Anne and John is this tacit notion of truth; of genuine places communicating a sympathetic sublimity that is unique yet somehow universal to us all.”
Event Type: PHOTO WALK
2025-06-01 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
East Bay Photo Collective
412 13th St, East Bay Photo Collective Darkroom, Oakland, CA 94612
Event is Free
For more information:
website: www.ebpco.org
We will be walking at 1pm on the first Sunday of the month, June 1th. Bring any camera you like, and be prepared to wander and shoot for up to an hour.
This month’s walk will begin and end at the EBPCO Darkroom! Further details coming soon.
EBPCO’s bimonthly photo walks are a great way to connect with other photographers while exploring and photographing an interesting Oakland location.
Our photo walks are free and OPEN TO ALL! Bring your camera(s) and your creativity. All cameras welcome, including phones.
Event Type: OPENING
2025-05-29 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
FootHill College
12345 El Monte Rd, Gallery 6100, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Event is Free
For more information:
About the Exhibition Gallery 6100 presents a selection of exceptional work curated from Foothill’s photography club members and photography students created during the Fall ‘24 and Winter ‘25 quarters.
On View April 14 - June 25, 2025
Gallery Hours Tuesday & Wednesday 12-3 p.m., Thursdays 12-6 p.m., and Monday by appointment. To schedule a visit by appointment, email Judy Walgren at walgrenjudith@fhda.edu.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-04-21 to 2025-06-06
ImageCentral
1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 94541
Event is Free
Hours: Mon 5:00 PM-9:00 PM; Tue 11:00 AM-2:00 PM; Thu 11:00 AM-2:00 PM;
For more information:
Annual Spring Exhibition 2025!
Join us for the Annual Spring Exhibition opening reception. This ever-popular and much-anticipated show highlights the works of more than 25 emerging and established photographers from the Bay Area! Begun in 1987, this seasonal exhibition brings together film and digital photographers whose images display a wide range of contemporary photographic styles. “It’s a wonderful eclectic collection of artist and imagery,” says ImageCentral Director Frederick Watkins.
The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Saturday, April 26, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Reception guests will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite image as part of the People’s Choice competition. Come support your local artist & art scene! The exhibit runs from April 21 - June 6.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-05-09 10:00 AM to 2025-05-30 6:00 PM
Random Posts
First Presbyterian Church of OIakland, 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94671
Event is Free
For more information:
OPEN SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY 10AM - 6 PM FIRST CHURCH OAKLAND invites you to the exhibition of the profound photographic exploration Place of Worship: Shifting Landscapes of Faith in an American City by photographer Nicolò Sertorio.
This meticulously documented journey through Oakland's diverse spiritual terrain, presented through a typological lens, presents a visual compendium of over 460 individual houses of worship, ranging from grand cathedrals to unassuming storefronts and a spectrum of traditions. Captured with a deliberate objectivity in black and white, the exhibition invites contemplation on the beliefs and aspirations of Oakland's communities and the enduring human search for meaning.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-05-02 to 2025-06-07
Harvey Milk Photography Center
50 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Event is Free
Hours: Tue - Thu 3:00 PM-8:30 PM; Sat 11:00 AM-4:30 PM; Sun 12:00 AM-12:00 AM;
For more information:
Echoes of Resilience: Reclaiming History presents a powerful exhibition featuring the work of Bay Area photographers Harvey Castro and Izzi Valencia. Their photography documents the enduring spirit of communities facing climate disasters, cultural preservation, and the dignity of labor often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
Harvey Castro’s “Los Olvidados” series captures the profound impact of natural disasters on marginalized populations. His photographs from Guatemala and Puerto Rico vividly depict communities in the aftermath of environmental catastrophes, highlighting their perseverance and the critical need for ecological accountability.
Izzi Valencia’s work focuses on the unification and organization efforts of Maya Mam, Mixteca, Chatino, Wixárica, and Nahua communities. Through his lens, he portrays the strength and solidarity of these groups as they strive to preserve their cultural heritage and rights amidst external pressure.
Valencia’s recent project “Native Sun Leaves” turns a spotlight on the contribution of agricultural workers to the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma Counties. In these portraits, Valencia uses a chlorophyll printing process on grape leaves to honor workers from Oaxaca, Mexico, whose labor is integral to the region’s agricultural economy.
This exhibition offers an intimate look into the lives of people overcoming adversity, emphasizing their strength and solidarity. Through the eyes of two artists deeply connected to their roots, visitors are invited to engage with stories of resistance in existence.
Event Type: ONLINE ARTIST TALK
2025-06-04 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
General Admission $10.00, CPA Members $.00
For more information:
Click HERE to Register before June 3 at 6:00pm. You will receive a zoom link the evening before the talk.
On clear nights the sky is decorated with the faint light of the glowing clouds of space gas and dust that are the birthplace of new stars. To visualize these distant spacescapes requires specialized photographic equipment and processes. It’s called astrophotography.
Gary Lopez is one of the first to explore astrophotography as a fine art. He uses astrophotography as a medium for revealing the beauty and drama that is captured in the ancient light of the cosmos. In this presentation he will discuss the process he has developed to create his images, including his adaptation of the classical elements of fine art photography. He will share his approach to create a visual experience that evoke a sense of familiarity and connection, and offer the viewer a portal to a deeper level . . . a window to see and feel our place in the Universe.
Event Type: CALL FOR ENTRIES
2025-05-11 to 2025-05-30 11:59 PM
The Image Flow
328 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960
Event is Free
For more information:
We’re excited to announce our Image of the Month photo contest for May: Self Portrait!
Submission is free, and only images uploaded this month are eligible, so keep submitting new photographs. Beyond being featured in our gallery, newsletter, and bragging rights, the winner will receive a 16×20 giclée paper print of their winning image and a $100 TIF Gift Certificate. The moral of the story: upload awesome images every month!
The Image Flow will evaluate each submission on composition, color, contrast, and overall quality when making their selections. In addition to technical components, they will also consider subject interest, point of view, and whether the image tells a story.
Under this month’s theme of Self Portrait, the competition is open to photographers globally.
Photography Competition Theme
Step in front of the lens—this month is all about Self-Portraits. But forget the standard headshot—we want to see you through your own creative vision. Play with light, movement, reflections, or abstraction. Tell a story, hide in plain sight, or make a statement.
Whether it’s raw and real, playful and surreal, or somewhere in between, this is your chance to turn the camera inward. Show us who you are, or who you want to be.
Event Type: OPENING
2025-05-31 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
SF Camerawork
Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd. Building A, San Francisco, CA 94123-1284
Event is Free
For more information:
SF Camerawork is proud to present FORECAST 2025, SF Camerawork’s annual survey exhibition. Each year SF Camerawork invites an esteemed jury of artists, curators, and critics to select and showcase the work of emerging imagemakers, with an eye toward current movements, trends and concerns in contemporary photography. This year, Bay Area art community leaders Nelson Chan, Nathan Cordova and Vince Donovan have selected the work of Jonathan Mark Jackson, Lorena Molina, Jonah Reenders, Anna Rotty, and Brianna Tadeo from over 140 entries from around the world. FORECAST 2025 will be on view May 30 through August 16, 2025. SF Camerawork will host an opening reception on Saturday, May 31st, from 6-9pm at our gallery in the historic Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, overlooking the Golden Gate.
FORECAST 2025’s jury, SF Camerawork’s staff and Board of Directors, invite the public to join us in celebrating the dynamic themes and experimental processes in this year’s cohort. These artists explore diverse concepts that challenge traditional methods including; what’s revealed through disintegration and the beauty that might emerge in impermanence (Brianna Tadeo), engaging historic Black memory through objects, landscape, and portraiture (Jonathan Mark Jackson), reconstructing photographs within the environment while investigating systems, both natural and built (Anna Rotty), interrogating our relationship to the ecological network and creating formative narratives that seek to question our understanding (Jonah Reenders), as well as using the physical body to transform conditions within images and looking at identity in the margins (Lorena Molina).
Event Type: OPENING
2025-06-01 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
New Museum Los Gatos
106 E. Main Street, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Event is Free
For more information:
Celebrate the opening of Snapshots of Pride: Photographer Ted Sahl's Chronicle of the South Bay LGBTQ+ Community with a custom cocktail, small bites, a live performance by the Rainbow Women’s Chorus, and a hands-on art activity where you can make your own pride flag keychain.
5:30 PM Performance by Rainbow Women's Chorus.
The exhibit will be on view May 30, 2025 – Oct 5, 2025.
Event Type: SHOW
2025-05-09 to 2025-05-31
Bay Area Photographers Collective
Radium Runway, 2151 Ferry Point, Alameda, CA 94501
Event is Free
For more information:
website: www.bapc.photo
Ephemeral Earth considers the beauty and the precarity of our presence on this planet. The show will be presented inside a shipping container from May 9 – June 1, and is part of the In Plain Site Festival in Alameda. BAPC’s photos explore the idea that Earth’s current state—its climates, coastlines, forests, and ecosystems—is in constant flux, shaped by human influence, and vulnerable to sudden change.
Drawing from documentary, fine art, and conceptual photography, BAPC artists present personal perspectives on the complex and often contradictory relationship between humans and the natural world. Participating artists include Maria Budner, Allyson Ely, Timofey Glinin, Anastasia Shubina, Shelley Hodes, Anastasiia Nelen, Eric Blum, Neo Serafimidis, Chis Stevens-Yu, Cindy Stokes, Ari Salomon, Alison Taggart-Barone, and Nick Winkworth.
About In Plain Site
In Plain Site is not just a festival—it’s a visual journey into our future. This free, three-week outdoor exhibition transforms the Alameda Point shoreline into an open-air gallery, showcasing stunning collections from international and local photographers. The event illuminates the pathways to a more climate-positive world through powerful imagery.
Hours: May 9: 5:00–7:30 PM May 10: 12:00–4:30 PM (tours at 1:30 and 3:30) May 22: 5:00–7:30 PM May 31: 2:00–5:00 PM May 31: 6:30–9:00 PM (Closing Party) Note: Admission is free except for the May 31st Closing Party.
Event Type: ONLINE EXHIBIT
2025-05-11 to 2025-05-31
Scott Nichols Gallery
450 1st Street East, Suite G, Sonoma Square, Sonoma, CA 95476
Event is Free
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Event Type: ARTIST TALK
2025-05-24 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Leica Store and Gallery
463 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Event is Free
For more information:
Join us on Saturday,May 24th, at 2:00 PM PDT for a special artist talk at Leica Store San Francisco!
We’re excited to present a conversation between our current exhibiting artist Josh Smith, and Bay Area photographic artist Vanessa Woods. They’ll reflect on their shared creative journey over the past decade and the unique partnership that has shaped both their lives and artistic practices.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear the stories behind The First Years and gain a deeper insight into Josh’s exhibition!
- RSVP is required, seating will be available on a first come first serve basis. Conversation will begin at 2:15pm.
Event Type: ARTIST TALK
2025-06-05 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Leica Store and Gallery
463 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Event is Free
For more information:
Join us on Thursday, June 5th at 6:00 PM PDT for a special evening at Leica Store San Francisco!
We’re thrilled to host a photobook conversation between artist Mimi Plumb and curator Allie Haeusslein. The discussion will center on Plumb’s latest publication with Nazraeli Press, The Reservoir, a compelling visual meditation on drought, climate change, and the quiet tensions that define contemporary life in the American West.
From 2021 to 2023, Mimi Plumb photographed two reservoirs in California’s Central Valley during a twenty-three-year megadrought. The Reservoir weaves together images of the rapidly receding lakes and the people who continue to seek leisure at their shores. Families arrive with dogs, babies and baby carriages, inner tubes, kayaks, rafts, umbrellas, coolers, and tents. As summer wears on and the shoreline retreats, they often walk over a mile to reach the water. At times, the sky is tinted with smoke from nearby wildfires.
- RSVP is required, seating will be available on a first come first serve basis. Conversation will begin at 6:30pm, and will be followed a book signing with Mimi Plumb.
Event Type: CALL FOR ENTRIES
2025-04-21 to 2025-06-01 11:59 PM
Center for Photographic Art
San Carlos at 9th Avenue, At the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 93921
Event is Free
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The Paula Riff Award was created by the Center of Photographic Art and Lenscratch in 2021 as a way to celebrate and continue the legacy of artist Paula Riff. Paula was an innovator, using lensless photography and historical processes to create objects of remarkable beauty.
The Award is open to artists whose art is challenging conventional photography through work that reflects the artist’s hand, either based on the historical/alternative photographic processes or with physical intervention through cutting, sewing, etc.
Event Type: OPENING
2025-05-24 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Peak Designs
529 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102-4213
Event is Free
For more information:
Join us for the first public viewing of "The Still Frontier", a collection of photographs from Tofe Salako & Justin Pham that encompasses their journey through the American West.
Tofe and Justin met while photographing the streets of San Francisco. They share a similar passion for the dynamic nature of street photography and organizing the chaos of our world in a beautiful way. Justin and Tofe have closely collaborated in the past – most notably a zine “Don’t Touch, Just Feel” showcasing Dia de los Muertos in Mexico City.
Eager for a new experience, the artists set their eyes towards capturing the energy of the Wild West. The result, “The Still Frontier”, is a collection of images taken over a series of days in Wyoming at the Frontier Days Rodeo. The artists were surprised to find their restlessness quieted through the rodeo’s camaraderie and competition and have chosen images that represent the stillness they found in the Wild West."
Complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Come on by and hang out!