Biography
Irma Hale was born to a very artistic family. Her father,
Reuben Hale, is a prominent West Palm Beach sculptor and was formerly chairman
of the humanities division at Palm Beach Community College. Her mother, Marie
Hale, is the artistic director of Ballet Florida, Palm Beach County's premiere
dance company. As a young girl she studied several artistic disciplines
including painting and ballet. She also spent twelve years studying concert
piano from such esteemed artists as George Imbragulio and William Harms.
Irma came of age artistically on the stage as a showgirl and
aerialist for the Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus. She began to expand
her theatrical horizons and, with equal dexterity, excelled technically in the
theatre. Concentrating primarily on lighting and lighting design, Irma worked on
Broadway as well as with New York City Ballet, and New York City Opera. She
worked locally for Ballet Florida and Palm Beach Opera, and then took over as
the Master Electrician and Resident Lighting Designer at the Kravis Center for
the Performing Arts for that facility's first six years. Irma is unable to take
on any project without learning her subject intimately, and her passion for
research and keen eye for light and color lend themselves remarkably to film.
Miss Hale began studying photography in 1990, and has done
extensive photography in Wales, New Zealand, and Australia. Intrigued by stories
of Antarctica, she worked two seasons as science support for the United States
Antarctic Program in Antarctica — four months during the Austral summer of
1999-2000, and six months during the Austral spring and summer of 2000-2001.
She had the rare opportunity as a photographer to explore the ice and hone her
skills amid such natural extremes of weather, landscape, wildlife, living
conditions and beauty.
Irma is also a contributing editor to the
Castles of Wales website. Her
list of contributions there can be found at
Castles of Wales - Irma Hale
From the icy blue Erebus Glacier and mercurial sunsets of
Antarctica, Irma's photographic adventures continue to the Northern Hemisphere,
to Crib Goch and Tryfan in the Snowdonia Mountains, and to the romantic castles
and landscapes of Wales — when she is not lighting a ballet or opera, that is!
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