Untitled image by Kathy Leonard
Two Sun City nature photographers, Kathy Leonard and Gracene Peluso, will hold a photography exhibit at the Hilton Head Library located at 11 Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island.
The women are members of the Photography Club of Sun City.
The exhibit, titled “The Beauty of Nature,” will run from July 25 through Aug. 18. The display is free and open to the public during library hours, which are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“At seven I helped my father develop black and white pictures in a makeshift darkroom in our basement. I was hooked and since then, photography has been a part of my life,” said Peluso.
“I had a 20-year career with New York Telephone/Verizon in New York, mostly in training and development. At lunch I’d hop on the subway and visit the camera stores in Manhattan.
“In 2004 we moved to Sun City, and I joined the Photography Club. I’ve taught classes and held several positions, including president.
I enjoy photographing the nature around us – waterways, birds, animals, flowers, and trees. I love the outdoors.”
Kathy Leonard developed an interest in photography when she was given a Brownie camera as a child. With this gift, she began to photograph the animals on the small ranch where she lived in California.
Later in life, as a college student, she studied photography at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Nevada, Reno, where she received a B.A. in Fine Arts with an emphasis in photography.
During her working life, Leonard was a professor in Iowa and had little time for photographic pursuits, although her interest in photography remained constant.
After retirement, she moved to South Carolina and immediately joined the Photography Club of Sun City Hilton Head. She credits this club and its members with rekindling her passion for photography and encouraging her interest in nature and wildlife.
