Celebrating SoCal's Trees: Renowned Photographer to Host Exhibit in Calabasas

For celebrity photographer Moses Sparks, a hobby to beat boredom during the coronavirus pandemic became a new passion.

The photographer has been taking pictures of celebrities and athletes for over 30 years, but COVID-19 forced him to cancel his work commitments as it did to many people across the globe. In an effort to “have something to do,” Sparks started hiking. While enjoying the Southern California mountains, he also began taking pictures and posting them on social media.

“With all the people stuck at home -- the response was crazy,” Moses recalled. “It was as if they were with me out in the nature.”

That pandemic hobby led to capturing the images of endangered birds in Hawaii and rare species in Costa Rica while raising funds for wildlife conservation.

Among the people who were moved by Moses’ photographs was a curator for the National Park Service. Moses said the official invited him to showcase his “tree portraits” as Moses calls them.

“Lost in the Forest: Intimate Portraits of California Trees” will be presented at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center in Calabasas from Feb. 1 through Feb. 26.  

Sparks said the exhibit will show the images of nature and objects that “spoke to him.”

“I will drive, hike and look for a tree that catches my attention,” Sparks explained. “Some of these trees were rooted for years, decades and centuries. I always think about what they must have witnessed with the passage of time.”

The exhibit center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday in the month of February. The event and parking are free. For more information on the photography exhibit, email samo@wnpa.org or call 805-370-2302.