BIO
"My studio is in Monterey County, near the city of Carmel. In the early 1900's, Carmel was an artist colony established by painters, sculptors, writers, and photographers. Among the most notable early Carmel residents were Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, pioneers in fine art photography. Their legacy still strongly influences our area, encouraging artist to find new ways forward and to create. It is a perfect place for me to explore astrophotography as a fine art."
- Gary Lopez
Gary Lopez is an American astrophotographer who creates images that celebrate the beauty and drama of the cosmos. He was one of the first to use the complex technologies of astrophotography to make fine art. His works evoke a sense of wonder, offering the viewer a window to see and feel their connection to the Universe.
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Lopez brings a rare fusion of art and science to his practice. He began his career as an apprentice to legendary documentary filmmaker, Bert Van Bork, and later worked as a producer, writer, and photographer for the Cousteau Society (Jacques Cousteau), Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He earned a Ph.D. in marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he also served as a researcher and lecturer at the University of California, San Diego.
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Represented by galleries in California and New York, Lopez’s astrophotography has been featured in museum exhibitions, recognized in international fine art competitions, and is included in private, corporate, and museum collections in the U.S. and Europe. He is the author of Tales Told by Ancient Light (2024), a monograph of his art-making process and images, and The New Art of Astrophotography (2025), which chronicles the emergence of astrophotography as a new category of fine art.