The photography of former Oakland University journalism student Amy Lockard has been selected for display in a gallery by the Huron Valley Council for the Arts.

The exhibit, titled “Present Exposure,” explores the healing aspect of the Upper Peninsula and was inspired by Lockard’s of Michigan.

In response to a difficult break-up with her fiancé, Lockard used the time she scheduled off of work for the wedding to go on a photography workshop trip with mentor Monte Nagler.

Lockard said she heard about Nagler’s photo workshops through a friend about 10 years ago, but the timing never worked out for her until 2011.

Nagler, who has been a professional photographer for the past 30 years, has brought groups of artists to international locations, including China and France, since 1991.

While in the UP, Lockard spent her time trying to heal from the issues back home.

“When I was on the trip I was focused on being present,” Lockard said. “I was meditating (frequently).”

According to Lockard, the waterfalls of the UP were a great source of relaxation for her. She would envision the water flowing through her, which ultimately allowed her to clear all negative thoughts and emotions from her mind.

The title of the exhibit is a reference to the state of being that Lockard sought to be in when on the trip. The elements of water and light in the work being displayed are a call to relaxation.

After graduating from OU in 2003, Lockard began her career as a staff photographer for the Spinal Column Newsweekly.   Her career also includes time spent as a staff reporter for The Paper and Lakefront Magazine, and as a photojournalist for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club.

Leah Ohmer, executive director of the Huron Valley Council for the Arts, describes Lockard’s work as being an honest depiction of her passion for the art.

“I love to see her eye for detail. She has a real (talent),” Ohmer said.

According to Ohmer, it is a rarity to find an artist as concerned with the interaction between the art and the gallery as Lockard is.

The Huron Valley Council for the Arts, according to Ohmer, serves as an incubator for artists. The goal of the organization is to provide a place for artists to learn how to become professionals in the field when displaying their work and marketing themselves.

Lockard’s gallery showing, located in Highland Township at the Huron Valley Council for the Arts building, has been voted “Best Bet” by the Detroit Free Press.

“Present Exposure” runs until February 23.

For more information about the exhibit, visit the Huron Valley Council for the Arts at huronvalleyarts.org.