Local photographer Kam Jacoby has just published a book of his work, "Layers: Composite Photographs from the Lompoc Valley."

The images in the book are from an ongoing series of composite photographs combining historic and contemporary scenes for an effect that is haunting, erasing the boundaries between then and now.

A book signing will take place Saturday, Nov. 7, at the South Side Coffee Company at 105 South H St. in Lompoc, at the Book Store in the Flower Valley Shopping Center at 1137 North H St. in Lompoc on Saturday, Nov. 14, and at the Book Loft in Solvang in December, on a date to be announced.

Jacoby has long been fascinated by the stories old photographs contain, and by the layers of the past that live within the present.

With the help of the volunteers at the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, he sifted through thousands of photographs from Lompoc's early years. He then re-photographed at the original locations and put old and new together, in many cases depicting a time lapse of more than a 100 years.

"When I am making my version of the photographs, I try to imagine the original scene; what the weather was like, what sounds were in the air, what people were thinking and feeling, and what world events were shaping life in this small corner of California," said Jacoby.

The book includes a selection of people and places that were significant in Lompoc's history. A descriptive text by teacher and essayist Cynthia Carbone Ward further illuminates each photograph and places it in historical context.

"It was an adventure in time traveling," said Ward. "The photos are intrinsically compelling, but when you begin to understand the personal stories and details within, they become even more poignant and real. In a way, Lompoc is the story of small town America; its humanity is touching in both its specificity and universality."

For Jacoby, who grew up in Lompoc and graduated from Lompoc High School, working on the book helped him to see his own town in a new light.

"There are thousands of people I will never meet who have shared the experience (wind, wide streets, white hills, pale blue sky and ocean) of life in this unique valley," said Jacoby. "Looking through old photographs of Lompoc, particularly those in which people are an essential element, has reawakened my interest in this place I call my hometown."

In 2008 Jacoby left teaching to pursue his photographic work full-time, and although this book focuses on the Lompoc Valley, he is working on similar projects in other parts of Southern California. Jacoby holds a Master of Fine Arts in photography from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Otis/ Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles; and a Bachelor of Fine Art from California State University, Chico. He taught at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Butte College in Chico; Hancock College in Santa Maria, and at Dunn High School in Los Olivos.

"Layers: Composite Photographs from the Lompoc Valley" is available at www.kamjacoby .com and at book stores and other venues in Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley, including the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, The Book Store in Lompoc, the Lompoc Museum, The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce, South Side Coffee Company, Jalama Beach Café, the Book Loft in Solvang and Art Brut Gallery in Los Alamos.

Jacoby will also be a part of Santa Ynez Valley Artists Studio Tour during the weekend of Nov. 21 and 22.

For updates and more information, visit www.kamjacoby.com.