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.

    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!