Brian Skerry Hosts Ocean Soul Lecture at the Byham Theater 2/12

National Geographic Live: "Ocean Soul" with Underwater Photographer Brian Skerry will be held Sunday, February 12, 2012, at 4:00 p.m, Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street.

About the event: "Voyage across the earth's oceans with Brian Skerry, one of National Geographic's most seasoned underwater photographers, and discover a vast, hidden world beneath the waves. Brian Skerry will present his photographic journey and lecture, Ocean Soul, at the Byham Theater on Sunday, February 12, 2012, at 4:00 p.m. followed by a Q&A session and book signing. This lecture is a part of the National Geographic Live! speakers series*, a part of the Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series, and is presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust."

Tickets ($20-$40) may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square (655 Penn Avenue), online at www.trustarts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. To purchase 10 or more tickets at special discounted rates, please call group sales at (412) 471-6930.

Further information: "Using his camera to communicate, Brian Skerry has spent three decades-and more than 10,000 hours underwater-telling the oceans' stories. His images celebrate the mystery and beauty of the depths and offer portraits of creatures so detailed and intimate they sometimes appear to have been shot in a studio. Skerry dives eight months of the year, often in extreme conditions beneath Arctic ice or in predator-infested waters, and has even lived at the bottom of the sea to be close to his subjects."

Skerry's National Geographic book, Ocean Soul, offers a powerful retrospective of Skerry's photographs and showcases his ability to create images that blend strong aesthetic beauty with journalistic relevance. Skerry explains, "I fell in love with the sea as a child and I wanted to tell stories about all I saw underwater. I never cease to be amazed at the extraordinary encounters I have when I'm at sea." Ocean Soul takes readers from the glacial waters of the North Atlantic, where harp seals face pressure from commerciAl Hunting, to the balmy central Pacific, where Skerry's camera caught evidence of damaged coral ecosystems actually rebuilding themselves.

When not in the field, Skerry is a passionate advocate for the oceans he loves to photograph. His riveting talks before audiences at TED, Harvard, The National Press Club, and London's Royal Geographic Society reinforce his lifelong mission to build reverence for these exquisite landscapes and encourage protection of them for future generations of ocean lovers.

*National Geographic Live! speakers series, at the Byham Theater, also will feature Annie Griffiths: A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel, on Sunday, April 22, 2012, at 4:00 p.m.

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