The world needs to see, so just open your eyes
Bio for award winning imager and story teller Chuck Ritz
I have always enjoyed using a camera to capture a special moment in time. I began like most amateur photographers by taking pictures at a young age, then I realized that almost anyone can take a picture if you are standing in the spot marked a Kodak moment. As I was about to turn the over the hill age of 40, I began to hear about seeking out your vision in life. After years of watching Oprah and searching my heart and soul, I found my vision that has been inside of me all along.
I picked up my old Canon AE 1, dusted it off, loaded it with a roll of Kodak 200asa film and went for a drive in the country side of Frederick, Md. I began by shooting old covered bridges which have been titled "Roads of Wood". One of those photos was entered into an area Art Festival to be judged and to my surprise it won overall 3rd place.
I have always been one who enjoys looking at the objects, people, places and the beauty of mother nature that passed me by as I traveled. Those roads traveled were country lanes, dark alleys, cross country highways, back roads, neighborhood streets from not only America but also from Ireland, Bermuda and England. I have made many a u-turns in life, you pass it and then go back to capture it. For you never want to have regrets and say that would have made a great shot. After you go back sometimes it does become a good shot and sometimes it does not, but at least I found out the final result one way or the other. It's like asking a ?. The answer is either going to be yes or no. Long before 9/11 I realized how short and precious life is and can be. Live it, love it, embrace it and most of all share it.
I now shoot with 4 Canon AE 1's, a Rebel X and a Minolta digital slr, those cameras have become another set of eyes for me to show others to c what eye see. It all started with taking pictures, then I learned to take photos, now I feel what I capture are images. Something that when you look at it whether for the first time or for the 100th the feeling will always be the same.
I have won two best of shows, 12 first place, 8 second place, 3 third place and a few honorable mentions for images entered into Baltimore area art shows and photo contests. In 2002 I was informed that 4 of my images from Ground Zero were selected to be apart of the travleling exhibit "Here is New York" those images are and will be preserved in the Library of Congress, the New York Museum of History and the memorial at Ground Zero once the Freedom Tower is completed. I feel that I'm still an amateur photographer with a passion to capture life as it is, whether that life is good, bad, beautiful or even ugly, we must see it for what it is. With that in mind, I was selected to become the project photographer for the Dawson Family Learning Center which is being built in the burnt out shell of the home of the Dawson's. The Dawson's were a family of 7 that stood up against drug dealers in the city of Baltimore. Those punks came back one night with fire bombs, through them at the house at 3 in the morning when the Dawson's felt safe in their beds and ran like most cowards do. The Dawson's were awaken from the heat of the flames that had them trapped inside of their castle, with no way out. The neighbors were awaked by the screams of 5 children, ages 9-14 and the cries of their parents Angela and Carnell Sr., the smell of smoke that had filled the air, and the sounds of sirens rushing to extinguish the flames. The Dawson's died as heroes, not in vain and not forgotten.
I did not know the Dawson's in this life, until we meet in another time and place I will not forget you, Angela, Carnell Sr., Keith, Kevin, Carnell Jr.,Juan and Lawanda.
I hope that you enjoy viewing, reading and seeing what I have seen.
Peace and God Bless.
Chuck
I have always enjoyed using a camera to capture a special moment in time. I began like most amateur photographers by taking pictures at a young age, then I realized that almost anyone can take a picture if you are standing in the spot marked a Kodak moment. As I was about to turn the over the hill age of 40, I began to hear about seeking out your vision in life. After years of watching Oprah and searching my heart and soul, I found my vision that has been inside of me all along.
I picked up my old Canon AE 1, dusted it off, loaded it with a roll of Kodak 200asa film and went for a drive in the country side of Frederick, Md. I began by shooting old covered bridges which have been titled "Roads of Wood". One of those photos was entered into an area Art Festival to be judged and to my surprise it won overall 3rd place.
I have always been one who enjoys looking at the objects, people, places and the beauty of mother nature that passed me by as I traveled. Those roads traveled were country lanes, dark alleys, cross country highways, back roads, neighborhood streets from not only America but also from Ireland, Bermuda and England. I have made many a u-turns in life, you pass it and then go back to capture it. For you never want to have regrets and say that would have made a great shot. After you go back sometimes it does become a good shot and sometimes it does not, but at least I found out the final result one way or the other. It's like asking a ?. The answer is either going to be yes or no. Long before 9/11 I realized how short and precious life is and can be. Live it, love it, embrace it and most of all share it.
I now shoot with 4 Canon AE 1's, a Rebel X and a Minolta digital slr, those cameras have become another set of eyes for me to show others to c what eye see. It all started with taking pictures, then I learned to take photos, now I feel what I capture are images. Something that when you look at it whether for the first time or for the 100th the feeling will always be the same.
I have won two best of shows, 12 first place, 8 second place, 3 third place and a few honorable mentions for images entered into Baltimore area art shows and photo contests. In 2002 I was informed that 4 of my images from Ground Zero were selected to be apart of the travleling exhibit "Here is New York" those images are and will be preserved in the Library of Congress, the New York Museum of History and the memorial at Ground Zero once the Freedom Tower is completed. I feel that I'm still an amateur photographer with a passion to capture life as it is, whether that life is good, bad, beautiful or even ugly, we must see it for what it is. With that in mind, I was selected to become the project photographer for the Dawson Family Learning Center which is being built in the burnt out shell of the home of the Dawson's. The Dawson's were a family of 7 that stood up against drug dealers in the city of Baltimore. Those punks came back one night with fire bombs, through them at the house at 3 in the morning when the Dawson's felt safe in their beds and ran like most cowards do. The Dawson's were awaken from the heat of the flames that had them trapped inside of their castle, with no way out. The neighbors were awaked by the screams of 5 children, ages 9-14 and the cries of their parents Angela and Carnell Sr., the smell of smoke that had filled the air, and the sounds of sirens rushing to extinguish the flames. The Dawson's died as heroes, not in vain and not forgotten.
I did not know the Dawson's in this life, until we meet in another time and place I will not forget you, Angela, Carnell Sr., Keith, Kevin, Carnell Jr.,Juan and Lawanda.
I hope that you enjoy viewing, reading and seeing what I have seen.
Peace and God Bless.
Chuck
posted by Chuck ritz at 7:36 AM
1 Comments:
Chuck, can't wait for you to post some of your beautiful photography to go along with your thoughtful and profound words.
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