Tidepools teem with creatures often tiny and secretive, hard to see even when wading among them. Macro-photographer Dan Harding can show you what you missed when you visit the exhibition Tidepool Discoveries: Images from a Different Point of View, at the Museum of Ventura County from December 2 through March 3, 2013.

This exhibit debuts Dan Harding’s latest series on local tidepool wildlife. The retired marine biology teacher and fine art photographer combines both technology and an unusual perspective to share his passion to protect and preserve these creatures. His macro-portraitures reveal what our naked eye can miss, such as fine details on the less than inch long tentacles of a Two Spot Octopus hatchling hiding in a clump of red algae.

Meet Dan Harding at a Free First Sunday reception on February 3 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm., and find out how he captures such detail. His process involves temporarily placing sea life in a small aquarium on site, so that they can be returned quickly to their found location after being photographed. He also designs and constructs special underwater camera housings for other shoots.

Harding began scuba diving in the kelp forests of the Channel Islands when he was just 15 years old. This fascination with sea life evolved into degrees in marine science from San Diego State University, and a teaching career in the U. S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and locally in Ojai, California.  Harding’s photography has appeared in numerous publications including National Geographic’s Your Shot and the Peterson Field Guide of Coral Reefs of the Caribbean and Florida, as well as in exhibits and displays at Channel Islands National Park; Pepperdine University’s grunion research program; the California Oil Museum; and others.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to the exhibitions is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, and the first Sundays of every month are free general admission for the public. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.