Photo by C. Hackett

Bill received his first camera, a Kodak^® Brownie Holiday Flash^® (original list price $4.95), as a boy, and his love of photography has continued to grow. His father and grandfather were both avid amateur photographers. Bill's undergraduate and postgraduate education in the biological sciences gives him an insight into, and an appreciation of, the wonders of the natural world. His years spent as a professional with high-technology companies in the Midwest and in Silicon Valley provided abundant opportunities to learn more about computers, the Internet, and rapidly evolving digital technology.

Digital photography involves much more than the capture of the "camera RAW" image. Bill's skill in the digital darkroom with such tools as Adobe^® Photoshop^®, Adobe^® Bridge, and the Apple^® Macintosh^® gives him artistic control over the making of the photograph, throughout the digital workflow. Philosophically, Bill prefers images with the colors that were present in the natural scene. Some customers prefer Photo Art images with altered colors, and these images contain an "e" in the filename.

Bill moved his family from the Midwest to California in the early 1990's and fell in love with the natural beauty and diversity of his new state. He describes himself as "Naturally Californian."

Bill is a proud member of the Livermore Art Association (LAA), and the Pleasanton Art League (PAL).

2008,

• LAA Spring Art Show
• Our Best Shots photography show
• Bank on It" art show at US Bank in Livermore - "Dana Meadows" won an Honorable Mention)
• Team Captain of a photography team on the LAA Circuit (a "traveling exhibit' of art that circulates among Livermore businesses).

2009

• "California: Mountains to the Sea" collection of 17 fine art photographic prints in a "one-man show" at Café Garré at the Garré Winery
• Co-Chaired LAA Spring Art Show, which is the biggest event of the LAA calendar and which had record art submissions and sales in 2009
• Livermore Wine Country Festival
• the photography "group show" at Windermere Welcome Home
• June Bank Show at US Bank, "Stone Bridge, November, Yosemite" won an Honorable Mention
• "Art Under the Oaks" show at Alden Lane Nurser
• "Our Best Shots" photography show at Livermore Library
• "Art in Carnegie Park" show in Livermore
• Harvest Wine Celebration at the Garré Winery
• Livermore Art Walk in October
• LAA Circuit Team Captain
• LAA Show Liaison, which attends LAA Board meeting
• Vice-President of LAA in the last portion of 2009.
• One-man show at The Wild Vine in November
• Holidays in the Vineyards at the Garré Winery on December 5 and 6.

2010

• President of LAA
• Co-chaired the very successful Spring Art Show on March 27 and 28. There were about 130 artists who exhibited, and about 340 works of art on the main floor alone.
• "Livermore Vines, October" won an Honorable Mention prize at the Spring Art Show and was later SOLD during ArtWalk 2010, with a subsequent sale of a California Poppy photo on canvas, to the same buyer
• Art Crawls in Livermore
• Art in the Vineyard at Wente's Vinyard Estate Winery on May 30
• US Bank Show in Livermore through July 6; Best of Show award for "Water lilies, White, Mission Santa Barbara
• Art Under the Oaks at Alden Lane Nursery on July 24 and 25!f Livermore photographer Walter Davies, was displayed at the
• Bankhead Theater show with photographer Walter Davies "Images of the American West," from July 8 through September 13
• "Art Under the Oaks" show at Alden Lane Nursery on July 24 and 25
• Art Crawl on July 30 at Main Street Designs
• Garré Vineyard and Winery during the Harvest Wine Celebration on September 5 and 6
• Art in Carnegie Park on September 18
• Art Walk 2010 on October 9
• "Merced River Foliage" was on display at the Winter Holiday Show at the Dougherty Station Community Center in San Ramon from November 1 to December 17
• Holidays in the Vineyards at the Garré Winery on December 4 and 5.
• Bill Hackett, Jennie McGregor, and Angela Johal had artworks hung at the Robert Livermore Community Center, through December 2010, in the LAA Gallery Artists Winter Show.

2011

• Re-elected LAA President
• Chaired LAA Winter Show at the Robert Livermore Community Center in January
• LAA Gallery Featured Artist for February at the Carnegie Building in Livermore
• First Street Alehouse one-man show in February and March
• Panama Red Coffee Company in March
• LAA Spring Art Show on April 2 and 3
• Carnegie Centennial Art and History Fair on May 14
• LAA Exhibit in Carnegie Park during the Amgen Tour of California cycle race on May 18
• Art in the Vineyard on May 29
• US Bank Show, June 16 - July 12, "Muir Woods Walkway" won "Special Award"
• Our Best Shot Show at Livermore Library, July 1 - July 31
• Hot Summer Art! July 8 - August 4
• Back to the Future Show at the Bankhead Theater, July 13 - September 20
• Art Under the Oaks in the Alden Lane Nursery on July 23 and 24
• ArtWalk 2011, October 8
• Chaired LAA Fall Show, October 15 through November at the Robert Livermore Community Center
• LAA Chair for "Art is the HeART of the Home" show at Thomasville of Dublin, November 15 and 16
• LAA Gallery Artists Winter Show, December 2011, at the Robert Livermore Community Center
• Photography Judge, National PTA Reflections Art Recognition Program 2011-2012, Pleasanton PTA Council 9th Annual, Second stage of contest

2012

• Re-elected LAA President
• Chair (and exhibitor) for LAA Winter Show, January 2012, at the Robert Livermore Community Center
• LAA Chair (and exhibitor) for "Art is the HeART of the Home II" show at Thomasville of Dublin, January 20 through 30

Bill is available for photographic services and has experience presenting to groups of all sizes. Bill can be reached at info@cheshirecatphoto.com and at +1 925-606-0812.