Comet Hyakutake streaks across
a field of swirling stars, while a saguaro cactus stands silent sentinel,
silhouetted against the night-blue sky.
 |
| This
image of comet Hyakutake by Kent Wood '73 will be featured in an
exhibition at RIT Oct. 12 through Nov. 8. |
This intriguing photo, captured
by Kent Wood ’73 (biomedical photography), will be featured in
Images from Science, an exhibition taking place Oct. 12 through Nov.
8 in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences gallery, Gannett Building.
The unusual exhibit was organized
by professors Michael Peres and Andrew Davidhazy of RIT’s School
of Photographic Arts and Sciences. The show will feature images from
various disciplines including biology, engineering, geology, medicine,
oceanography and physics. Peres, chair of RIT’s biomedical photography
program, first discussed the idea of an exhibit based on science-related
images with Davidhazy after an exhibition of Peres’ work at a Rochester
art gallery.
“I found it fascinating
the way people reacted to viewing my pictures in a non-scientific way,”
recalls Peres. “That’s when I realized the possibility of
converting photographs intended for scientific applications into something
that people could relate to on a different level.”
Wood’s photo, entitled
“Comet Hyakutake, Polaris, Big Dipper and Saruaro,” was one
of more than 300 pictures submitted from 88 photographer/scientists
representing 15 countries. “This astrophoto is a splendid example
of what can be accomplished with a minimum of equipment – provided
you have clear, dark skies and an extraordinary event,” says Wood.
He captured the image in the Arizona desert along the Tom Mix Highway
near Florence, Ariz., on March 27, 1996.
“I had one chance with
comet Hyakutake in this position on this specific night,” says
Wood, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M. He used a Canon T-90, 24mm S.S.C.
lens and tripod. It was a time exposure of 12 minutes at f/2.8 with
1600-speed film.
“Nile Root taught me
this technique during his first year and first biomed class at RIT,”
says Wood. “His first assignment for us was to photograph the constellation
Cassiopeia.”
Wood has been interested
in both art and science since childhood. RIT’s biomedical photography
program, new when he first learned of it, seemed an excellent way to
combine his two passions. In his career as a free-lance photographer,
he has done microphotography as well as photos of celestial phenomena;
in the 1980s, he gained recognition with his photos of lightning, one
of which was used on the cover of Life magazine’s September 1993
issue. Last fall, one of his photos of anthrax bacteria was widely used
in the news media.
Peres and Davidhazy sent
invitations to potential exhibitors via the Internet, making use of
news groups, chat lines and electronic bulletin boards. Selection of
the images was based on aesthetics and visual impact as well as scientific
content. Photos were selected by three expert judges including one representing
National Geographic magazine.
Following the RIT exhibit,
the images can be seen online at http://images.rit.edu.
