SUMMER SPLASH II: Orange County : Our Hottest picks for a Jam-Packed Summer : PHOTOGRAPHY

Orange County wades into its second hundred years facing a summer that’s filled with a wider range of arts and entertainment activities than ever.

The Calendar staff of the Times Orange County Edition selects highlights among the hundreds of choices offered at the county’s theaters, art museums, outdoor amphitheaters, concert halls, comedy clubs, movie theaters and elsewhere to stave off any summer doldrums that might dare to take roost.

* The Orange County Fair is not only a place that mixes a carnival midway with blue ribbon cows, it also houses Orange County’s largest exhibition of photographs this summer. The fair offers a wide variety of images ranging from photojournalism to studio portraits. The photographs will be on display when the fair runs from July 11 to July 22.

The exhibit, is open Monday through Thursday from noon until 11 p.m. and Friday though Saturday from 10 a.m. until midnight. The cost for this annual Costa Mesa event, held at the fairgrounds, is $5 for adults and $2 for children.

* While the fair may be the oldest and most established summer exhibit, the county’s newest venue for photography is The Laguna Beach Gallery of Photography, which opened May 11. The gallery will lead off with the work of Joyce Tenneson, 20-by-24-inch color Polaroid nude portraits, on display until June 29. Running simultaneously will be the color Cibachrome landscape photographs by Cole Weston. Scheduled later in the summer will be Pete Turner’s dye-transfer abstract scenic shots, July 1-Aug. 15.

Other exhibits scheduled for the entire summer include the black-and-white landscape photographs of Robert G. Smith and Christopher Broughton and the documentary work of Betsy Smith. The gallery is at 303 Broadway, Suite 103 in Laguna Beach. There is no admission charge. Hours are Sunday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Call (714) 494-4470.

* Rizzoli International Bookstore & Gallery in Costa Mesa will feature celebrity photographs by Greg Gorman from June 2 to June 13. For a more traditional look at the landscape, consider viewing landscape photographs by Robert Tracy, whose new work will include photographs from Bodi, Salton Sea and Huntington Beach. Tracy’s images will be on display June 15-July 15. The bookstore and gallery is located in South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge. For more information call (714) 957-3331.

* The BC Space gallery in Laguna Beach will feature “Tales of the Tell,” an exhibit that features sections of “The Tell” mural in Laguna Canyon. The show which runs until Aug. 18, includes an overview of the origins and purposes of the project using slides, videos and clippings. BC Space is located at 235 Forest Ave. in Laguna Beach. The hours are 9 a.m to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is no admission charge. Information: (714) 497-1880.

* An exhibit of portrait photographs by Yousuf Karsh, “Great Faces,” will be on exhibit at the Susan Spiritus Gallery until June 3. During the month of June the gallery will exhibit images by Imogen Cunningham, Henry Gilpin, Jacqueline Thurston and Neil Hart. The gallery is in Crystal Court mall, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge. Information: (714) 549-7550.

A list of summer arts and entertainment activities for children will appear in Wednesday’s Calendar.