Dunes’ abstract beauty

ASK photographer Bruce Barnbaum his favorite place to shoot landscapes, and he doesn’t hesitate to reply: Utah. But it’s his photos of the dunes at Death Valley National Park, below, that dominate an exhibition called “Chasing Light” at the Alex Haleigh Gallery in Gardena. Barnbaum, an ardent environmentalist based in Granite Falls, Wash., and 1974 winner of the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award for conservation photography, has been producing a concentrated study of the dunes at Stovepipe Wells since 2002. Five of his dune images -- some almost abstract studies in black and white -- appear in this show. The exhibition features a mix of large-format landscapes contrasted with urban outdoor shots by 13 photographers. Other notable nature photos include Don Kirby’s moody “Storm Cloud Over Black Mesa” and “Aspen & Fog, Jack’s Creek.” The show runs through Dec. 10 and is open Tuesdays through Fridays noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays noon to 5 p.m. The gallery is at 2928 Marine Ave., Gardena. Call (310) 324-5414.

-- Mary Forgione