When Robert Wright discovered in 1987 that being legally blind did not prevent him from taking good photographs, he wanted to let the world know.

Eight years later, he’s on a one-person crusade to usher in a new breed photography buffs, with the help of special lenses.

Wright, 39, will hold an exhibition this weekend to connect people who are vision-impaired with the world of auto-focus camera technology.

"It is so common for people who have lost their sight to give up on abilities that they used to have”, Wright says.

In the case of photography, however, all may not be lost.

Cameras equipped with lenses that focus automatically when pointed at a desired scene - lenses which have been on the market more than a decade - make it possible for those even with minimal vision to produce snapshots as crisp as autumn.

As Wright flips through a portfolio of his photography, images as panoramic as San Francisco Bay and as intimate as closeups of his cat are remarkably clear for a man who has 20/400 vision.

Actually, “the quality (of the photographs) has increased while my level of vision has decreased,” he said. “This adds to my conviction that photography for the blind is possible.”

Wright has traveled up and down the West Coast promoting photography for the blind.

“My hat’s off to him,” said Jodi Bowman, a media-relations assistant with the Lighthouse for the Blind, which provides employment and specialized computer training for the vision impaired. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, and it’s worth pursuing.”

Wright, an unemployed North End resident whose sight was damaged in a childhood car accident, first drew media attention in 1989 when he made a 800-mile bicycle trek to California to raise money for the American Heart Association.

This Friday through Sunday at Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall, there will be information booths from various camera and film companies, along with a hands-on workshop and photography seminar by Wright a 1 p.m. on Sunday

For more information, contact Wright at 365-2236.