For 25 years, Ketchum has produced photographs that fulfill two functions: artistic interpretation of the natural world and studied documentation of conflicting ideas on wildland use. A selection of his images are currently on display at the Newport Beach Central Library through May 31.

The exhibit draws the viewer in. The large Cibachrome prints, taken with a Pentax 6-by-7 medium-format camera, show Ketchum's mastery of composition and use of vibrant color.

"This show has had more attention and success than any other show at the library," said Newport Beach Arts Commissioner William Valentine. "We're really lucky to get him down here."

Two of the photographs are of Rancho San Carlos, one of the largest land grant ranches left in California. The 20,000-acre property is the site of a bitter contention between the land's owners who want to develop it in a manner that preserves much of the beauty, and local residents who oppose the development.

One of Ketchum's images is a broad landscape of rolling oak woodland, the other a study of an ancient moss-covered oak tree.

"This is an encapsulation of a lot of the things going on right now," said Ketchum. "I've chosen to document this project for a decade because it's a good example of what's happening with real estate and development here at the end of the 20th century."

Another breathtaking image is of a marsh and tree area in the Tongass National Forest, taken from Ketchum's book "The Tongass: Alaska's Vanishing Rain Forest."

Ketchum explained how the book, given to every member of Congress, helped sway opinions in the Capitol, resulting in George Bush signing the historic Tongass Timber Reform bill into law, protecting a million acres of old growth trees and creating five new wildernesses.

When Ketchum describes the stories behind his images, he combines the knowledge base of an environmental professor with the passion of an artist dedicated to his vision. It's easy to see why he is in such high demand by environmental groups and art collectors alike.

Ketchum's photographs are in most of the major collections in the United States. His work has been featured in more than 400 shows at institutions ranging from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to the White House and Brazil's National Museum of Fine Arts.

His photographs have been published in magazines such as Life, Sports Afield and Audubon. He has been an artist-in-residence at the Sundance Institute and he has authored and photographed numerous books. He was presented the United Nations Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award by King Gustav of Sweden in 1991.

"We so often interject ourselves into nature [through development] carelessly, without thought," Ketchum noted.