‘Luminous La Jolla’: Kathryn Anthony to showcase her photography highlighting her hometown

Longtime La Jolla resident Kathryn Anthony makes sure she’s never far from her iPhone to capture that perfect shot, blending intention and happenstance for photography she says is very satisfying.

Anthony will feature her photography, in which La Jolla is featured heavily, in a digital exhibition and artist talk at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at BFree Studio, 7857 Girard Ave. in La Jolla.

The event, called “Luminous La Jolla … and Other Lovable Landscapes,” will be the first time Anthony has displayed her photography in La Jolla, and it falls on an auspicious date: the centennial of her late father’s birthday.

The showcase is an opportunity for Anthony to honor her father, Harry, who moved the family to La Jolla from New York more than 50 years ago, when Anthony was in high school.

The exhibit also will include some of Anthony’s favorite images from her global travels.

Anthony’s photos of La Jolla are published occasionally in the La Jolla Light’s Photos of the Week series.

“I’m very grateful to the La Jolla Light,” she said. “It’s largely the support of [its] editor that got me thinking about doing something like this.

“I thought maybe this has an interest for a wider audience. Maybe my photos have potential to go beyond my computer.”

Kathryn Anthony says her photos result from a combination of planning and happenstance.

(Courtesy of Kathryn Anthony)

But Anthony, an architecture professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who teaches remotely, isn’t new to sharing her photos. She has had her pictures displayed at the Office of the Consulate General of Greece and the National Hellenic Museum gift shop in Chicago and featured in a calendar, among other places.

She also posts to Facebook, often inspiring friends around the world to visit La Jolla.

“[My] photos opened up a window to a world that they didn’t know but were so happy to discover,” Anthony said.

“When I take these photos, it’s a dialogue that I have with myself … expressing gratitude to be in this beautiful place at this time,” she said. “It’s an affirmation for me, in a way, of all that’s good in this world.”

Anthony takes many photos daily, using only her iPhone. “I rarely go out the door and not take any photos,” she said.

For Anthony, photography also allows her to experience instant gratification. Her academic works — the books, research articles and scholarly presentations she writes — take much longer to produce.

“Photography is instant,” she said. “You enjoy it right away.”

Anthony said her phone is always in her hands as she walks around, which enables her to open the camera and click away on whatever catches her eye. Usually, that’s the changing light, she said.

One of the things she loves about La Jolla, she said, “is you can go to the same place every day and it will always look different. You never get the same image twice.”

La Jolla has “a landscape that moves,” Anthony said. “We’ve got an ocean that moves, we’ve got seals, sea lions; we’ve got moving targets” for photos.

She said her pictures can be planned or be a matter of timing as she happens on events like a beach wedding. Either can result in great photos, she said.

“Luminous La Jolla … and Other Lovable Landscapes” is free and open to the public, but registration is requested. To register or for more information, visit bfreestudio.net and click on “Events.” ◆