The city of Enumclaw Gallery 2010 presents photographer Lauri Hillberg’s Birds of Enumclaw. The exhibit begins Thursday and continues through Nov. 2 at Enumclaw City Hall.
After 36 years in the Boeing Defense and Space Group, Hillberg retired as an aeronautical engineer in 1995. Since then he has traveled extensively in pursuit of one of his hobbies – bird watching. He has been to the Pribilof Islands, Midway Atoll, Mexico and across the United States looking for birds. In 1997, he began to take a serious interest in bird photography. The pictures in this exhibit are recent photographs taken of birds in the Enumclaw area.
For long-range bird photos Hillberg uses a technique referred to as digiscoping. It involves using a spotting scope and a digital camera. The scope is first focused on a bird as would usually be done in bird watching. The camera is centered on the eyepiece of the scope and the photo is taken. No special attachment is needed. The only necessary procedure is to use the zoom on the camera to avoid vignetting or edge-shadowing. Hillberg uses a Kowa TSN-823 spotting scope and a Canon Powershot digital camera. The combination of the two gives a magnification of 60 times. Hillberg has given presentations on this technique at several Elderhostel programs.
Hillberg, who is also an Enumclaw arts commissioner, continues his birding activities, traveling annually to Arizona, but his favorite birding is in Washington state. He and his wife Sylvia can frequently be seen in the Westport and Tokeland area, scope and camera in hand. Hillberg says patience and luck are needed to get a great bird photo.
Artists have been selected by the arts commission. The year’s schedule concludes with Bob Charlo/Kalispel Nation in November and Payette Still in December.
Hours for the exhibition space are 8 a. m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on national holidays. The gallery is closed to the public Tuesdays for Enumclaw Municipal Court proceedings. For information, call the Enumclaw Cultural Programs office at 360-802-0239.
