Fine art photographer Jeff Rich will lecture on "Watershed: The French Broad River and the Ethics of Photography," on Monday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts at Coastal Carolina University. This event is free and open to the public.

"Watershed" is about the effects, abuse and exploitation on our Southern landscape and focuses primarily on the French Broad and Tennessee Rivers. His photographs juxtapose the natural beauty of the landscape with the harsh realities caused by pollution and misuse.

Rich earned an M.F.A. in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga. In 2010, he won the highly competitive Critical Mass Book Award for his photographic work. His work has been featured in Daylight Magazine and in Photo-Eye's Photography Showcase. Currently, Rich is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, and he curates the weekly Oxford American Eye Magazine's South photo series.

The lecture, which is part of the Nancy A. Smith Distinguished Visitor Series, will be held in the Recital Hall (Room 152) of the Edwards College, located at 133 Chanticleer Drive W. in Conway.

For more information on this event, contact Talbot Selby, associate professor of visual arts, at 843-349-2569.