Babbitt’s ‘Un-Still' Photos Anchor Art Walk Tonight

To say that Mill Valley photographer Alan Babbitt has taken his personal setbacks in stride falls short of the mark.

He has, it seems, taken them with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

In talking about the incongruousness of his lousy vision and his chosen field of photography, Babbitt says he has "blindly refused to face the facts.”

His photographic ambitions were dealt a huge blow in 2003 when he found out he had Parkinson’s disease. “I thought my shooting days were done. Would I need a new career? As what, a shaker of paint cans at the hardware store? An egg scrambler? A martini maker? (shaken, not stirred)."

Babbitt soon turned the disability into an innovative technique. He calls his work “Un-Still-Photography,” because, well, “that’s what it is.” Babbitt show off that work, as well as what he calls a “Photo Blendo” series of art photography, at the . The exhibit kicks off tonight with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of the Arts Commission’s monthly .

The “Un-Still” exhibit features large, colorful prints, including images of scenes from the Golden Gate Bridge and the . "Photo Blendo" series includes images that start as photographs and then become something else, with Babbitt exploring the concepts of symmetry, synthesis and serendipity while “working with trains, wacky architecture and Photoshop-induced euphoria,” Babbitt says.

The 411: Alan Babbitt’s art photography exhibits at the Mill Valley Community Center through July 27. A free reception as part of the First Tuesday Art Walk takes place tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Babbitt is selling the prints for 20 percent off during the exhibit, with a portion of proceeds going to support Parkinson's research.