Photographer Frances Freyberg points her camera at faraway, new sights

It’s good fortune that photographer Frances Freyberg’s friend exhibits not only a touch of wanderlust but seeks out off the beaten paths. That allows Frances to photograph faraway scenes, many of which are new to most of us. Case in point, the photographer, who was in Patagonia earlier this year, just returned from a trip trough Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria.

“We covered a lot of ground in our two weeks,” she says. “One of the challenges of photographing a fast-paced trip is that there’s often only one chance to capture the right image, and the conditions may not be ideal.

“There are always places where I wish I had time to return and photograph the scene in a different light, or with new people in the mix, but that’s not always possible. On the other hand, fast-paced trips allow me to photograph many different places in a short span of time, and I usually come home with some unexpected favorite photographs.”

Many of these photos, including the one of the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria (right), are on display at the Portola Art Gallery through August 31. The show is called Small Works for a Big Cause, and all profits from the exhibit’s sales will support Nuru International‘s mission to help end extreme poverty, one community at a time.

The nonprofit organization was  founded by Stanford Business School graduate Jake Harriman. Nuru first identifies and mentors local leaders and then partners with proven organizations to promote development in five critical areas: agriculture, water & sanitation, healthcare, education, and community economic development. By integrating revenue generation models into all five of these program areas, Nuru strives to enable each community to become financially self-sustaining.

Photographs from Patagonia, New Zealand and Africa as well as flower photos from local gardens such as Filoli and Allied Arts are also included in the Portola Art Gallery exhibit. A reception for Frances will take place on Saturday, August 6 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the gallery, which is located at the Allied Arts on Arbor Road in Menlo Park. Regular gallery hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.

Photo of Frances Freyberg by Chris Gulker

Rila Monastery (c) 2011 by Frances Freyberg. Used with permission.