August isn’t just for submitting your best shots to the Photo Contest—it’s also when we go live with world-renowned underwater photographer Erena Shimoda! Don’t miss this special in-person presentation as part of our Underwater Photography Month.
📍 Where: The Hopyard Alehouse Banquet Room
3015 Hopyard Rd, Pleasanton, CA 94588
📅 When: Thursday, August 21st
🍽 Meet & Eat: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (food, drinks & social time)
🎤 Speaker: Erena Shimoda 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
🗣 Social & Q&A: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
About Erena Shimoda
With over 25 years of scuba experience, Erena Shimoda has honed an almost instinctive sense of timing, light, and composition beneath the waves. Her images range from hauntingly serene seascapes to intimate portraits of marine creatures, each shot revealing hidden textures and subtle behaviors most divers never notice.
Erena’s journey began as a recreational diver in the South Pacific; she quickly became obsessed with capturing the interplay of sunbeams and plankton at dawn. That passion led her to self-publish a stunning hardcover photo book, Into the Blue, which sold out its first printing within weeks. She’s since mounted solo exhibitions in Tokyo galleries, where her life-size prints drew crowds for their dreamlike quality.
At a recent Genentech Medical Conference, Erena presented her work to researchers, drawing parallels between coral microbiomes and human microbiota—an unexpected crossover that earned her a standing ovation. Her photographs have since appeared in USA Today, CBS News, The Huffington Post, and NBC News, sparking conversations about ocean conservation and the emotional power of visual storytelling.
A dedicated mentor, Erena also leads workshops for aspiring underwater photographers and spearheads outreach programs at FAU’s Marine Lab, inspiring students to blend science and art. Her affection for the ocean—and her uncanny ability to make viewers feel they’re breathing underwater—have made her a true luminary in the field.
Also check out other Meetups in Pleasanton, Arts events in Pleasanton, Contests in Pleasanton.
