OVAS General Meeting, April 23, 2012, JA Dulude, 7pm

Ret Talbot is an award-winning writer and photojournalist with nearly 20 years of experience covering stories from some of the more remote corners of the globe. From the icy summits of the Andes to the reefs of Papua New Guinea, his assignments have taken him off the beaten track and put his readers face-to-face with stories of adventure, new ideas and innovative approaches to commonplace issues.

A graduate of the prestigious writing programs at both Wheaton College and the University of St. Andrews, Talbot launched his career balancing work as a mountaineering and fly-fishing guide, freelance writer and English teacher. His articles appeared in publications such as Outdoor Sports, Rock & Ice, Fly Fisherman, Shallow Water Angler, and American Whitewater. While not in a river, on a glacier or at the head of a classroom, Talbot traveled extensively lecturing on his own expeditions to places like North Africa, Alaska, Norway, Ecuador, and Peru.

Since 2007, Talbot has worked as a fulltime freelance writer and photographer, penning stories for magazines and working on book-length projects. His most recent work has focused on marine ecosystems and the myriad interactions between humans and those ecosystems. From the artisanal fisheries of Pacific Islanders to the heavily politicized commercial fisheries of Hawaii, Talbot has spent much of the last year interviewing fishermen, politicians, scientists, environmentalists, and other fisheries stakeholders about the concept of sustainability.

Talbot frequently reports on the marine aquarium trade, and his articles can be found in a variety of trade publications. His aquarium-related books include The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Saltwater Aquariums (September 2009) and Coral (forthcoming). He is a senior editor at Coral Magazine, where he is currently working on a multi-year series of articles focused on sustainability and marine aquarium fisheries. Reporting from places as disparate as remote island nations across the Indo-Pacific and the massive import and wholesale facilities at Los Angeles International Airport, Talbot’s series of articles in Coral have established the marine aquarium fishery as a microcosm for the complexities of international trade, socio-economic development and environmental conservation.

Ret and his wife Karen, an artist known for her scientific illustrations of fishes, split their time between Laguna Beach, California and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

February’s OVAS meeting is centered around photography.  Ron (rockgarden) is doing a brief talk about photography, followed by some practice time.  We’ll have different stations set up around the room so that people can practice taking photos in different types of scenarios while Ron is walking around offering advice and answering questions.  Some stations will have something stationary, some will have an under water subject and some will have moving subjects!

Since we want everyone to have as much practice time as possible, there will not be any show and tell this month.  Our club announcements are also going to be as short and sweet as we can make them.  Wayne will also have the snacks available for everyone to grab as they socialize and practice their photography skills while Ron is available to answer questions or offer advice.

This is a BYOC event…bring your own camera.  It doesn’t matter if it’s an inexpensive point and shoot camera or an SLR camera.  Bring whatever you have and learn some great tips..even if you’re an experienced photographer, here’s your opportunity to share your knowledge.  If you don’t have a camera, please feel free to come watch and learn.