Photographer Briana Diamond

Photographer Briana Diamond

Photographer Briana Diamond

Photographer Briana Diamond

Photographer Briana Diamond

Photographer Briana Diamond

Contributor/Writer: Letitia Grimes

The Ojai Photography Community welcomes Ventura based photographer, Briana Diamond, who will present “Riders of Waves, Mermaids and Milk-maids.” Do mermaids really exist? To find out, visit Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 W. Santa Ana St., Ojai, CA, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16. The OPC invites the public to this free event

Diamond’s presentation will take the audience over and under the ocean waves and into the starry skies with images of surfers, mermaids, and the Milky Way.

An emerging young photographer, Diamond graduated from Brooks Institute in 2014 with a degree in Visual Journalism. She works in multiple commercial fields, with a versatility ranging from still photography to vide-ography, social media directing to video production and catalog photo shoots.

Growing up in Southern California, Diamond began surfing at the age of seven and exploring photography in her backyard around the same time. At the age of eight, she found her career path; she recalls: “I still remember the day I was at the grocery with my mom when I was eight years old and saw my first Surfer magazine. I couldn’t believe that you can mix both passions into a career - surfing and photographing! I was mind blown and immediately started taking photos on land of surfers.” Pursuing her twin passions with single-minded purpose, she chose independent study in high school and at the age of sixteen was mentored by a photographer with National Geographic.

At Brooks Institute, Diamond finally zeroed in on her major artistic focus. She studied underwater photography with top nature photographer, Ralph Clevenger, and discovered her true calling. “We learned all about photographing and even editing images on water and underwater,” she says. “I was in heaven - this is where I belong - in the water.”

For more of Diamond’s images, go to https://brianadiamond.photoshelter.com/about/index

The Ojai Photography Community, which is devoted to inspiration, camaraderie and education, meets on the third Tuesday of each month, February – Novem-ber. Monthly free presentations are part of the group’s community service and education outreach. http://www.ojaiphotographycommunity.com/index.html