Paradise Bride

While in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, one of my jobs was a bridal fashion photo shoot on the beach. I had the privilege of working with a dress from one of my very favorite local Portland dressmakers, Sarah Mansfield. The veil is by August Veils, also of The Bridal Loft. Working with model Andrea Castanette, we had some fun photographing on the beautiful Playa Madera. Here are some sample photographs:










Check our our website to see more of our destination wedding photography.

Cosas en la Playa

Sunrise, sunset. The best light. I walk, camera in hand, simply to see. To play. To delight.









See more of my editorial photography as a travel photographer on my website.

Fishing for Photos in Zihua

I'm in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, to do a little shooting. This morning I got up early to walk the beach and see what morning would bring. I always find that, to see local culture in full swing, early morning is the time to be out and about.

We saw dolphins in the bay, hummingbirds in the air, watched the frigate birds diving for fish, and watched the locals fish off the promenade. Rather than fishing poles, they have fishing line wound around a piece of wood or bottle, attach a weight and hook to the end, and put a palm-sized fish on the line. Then they'd swing it around, toss it out into the water, and wait.

As I photographed them, one pescador had a fish on the line, and offered it to me. So I took it and started reeling the fish in, hand over hand, walking back and forth along the boardwalk as the fish swam this way and that. Finally we could see the fish in the water below us, and it was big! One of the boys hopped down on the rocks, and picked the fish up out of the water and brought it up to us. It was a yellowtail, nearly 3 feet long.



Travel and editorial photography in Mexico is one of my very favorite jobs!

Kenya Violence Storms Eldoret

Between 30-50 Kenyans were burned to death, and many others severely burned,
in a church, similar to this one pictured here, in Eldoret, Kenya. (In this photo, people are lined up for free medical care in March, 2007.)

I was grieved to hear, on this first day of the new year, that the violence in Kenya has been especially brutal in Eldoret. Today it is reported that between 30-50 people were burned to death in a church in Eldoret, where more than 250 villagers were taking refuge from the violence.

I was just in Eldoret for over a week, in March of 2007. A beautiful country. I spent my time there photographing the work that Open Arms International is doing, to create an orphanage for AIDS orphans. OA was also conducting free medical clinics in the slums, together with local churches, serving several thousand people that week.

The outbreak of violence began with outcry over election scandals, but seems to have turned into a genocidal war between tribes, akin to what has occurred in Rwanda, Iraq, the Balkans, etc. I have been reading reports that church buildings and cathedrals are packed with people seeking refuge from the violence. In my short stay there, I met many pastors and Christians from Eldoret, who worked tirelessly for the care of the poor in that city. I can only imagine the stress and danger these precious people are facing. Furthermore, friends and acquaintances from here in the States are there in Eldoret, working to build this orphanage, from the ground up.

Please be in prayer for them, and for their people: that they will be strong and courageous, that they will be peacemakers, that they will be protected.

Kenneth, a gentle, softspoken young pastor in Eldoret.


This is Pastor Esther, with one of the orphans she cares for in the slums.

Here is an update from Esther in Eldoret, Kenya, on February 7, 2008:

Hello,

Praise God. The situation is bad .my car was burnt and also they wanted to burn the house .the church is a refugee camp now.people have lost direction faith no prayers no trust no spiritual likfe victimazed no money for communication ,ten people were killled at my gate when they were coming to kill us.That day ihbad over fifty people with children also two mps opposition were killed so there is alot of tension please pray for us.God has given me alot of strength and its well.

God bless you in amighty way.
Goodbye.
say hi to everybody .many children in Kasarani are not going to school because of tension and some schools closed.

What we have seen is terrible but thanks to lord for gift of life.
many people have lost there life there is much of harted ,enemity and separation of tribes no unity.

A child plays in the plastic trash-strewn field of the Eldoret slums.

Christa and Mike

The few weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year's are kind of like a second summer in Oregon, in terms of weddings. Minus, of course, the sunshine and warmth of summer, and with the addition of a great deal of clouds and precipitation. Which is why, at Mike and Christa's wedding at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, they put everyone on Mountain Watch.

Oregon Golf Club usually has a fantastic view of Mt Hood, but not at this cloudy time of year. But the bride thought a little cloud break might just show a glimpse of the mountain in its winter majesty. Well, we didn't get a peek at the peak, but we did get a rainbow, right about where the mountain would be. We took it as a good omen, and took a picture:


Christa works in Washington DC for Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer. She is a Legislative Assistant, covering such weighty topics as firearms, labor, civil rights, women's issues, social security, and more. So she's a pretty organized, plan-ahead-and-make-it-happen kind of woman. (As well as an absolute sweetheart with a great laugh.) Which is why she kept a copy of her wedding vows in a very accessible but covert part of her wedding gown. Which her bridesmaids thought was rather clever. And yes, she did end up needing it during the ceremony, and whipped it right out....


Did I mention that Christa is resourceful and organized? Here are the contents of her bridal purse: a compact, lipstick, a Tide To Go stain remover, and a list of people to thank at the reception.



Visit our website to see more wedding photography from Oregon Golf Club.

Painting

I've been toying around for some time with ways to paint from photographs. I'm regularly inspired by paintings of people (Modigliani especially, but other contemporary painters as well). I love the way, in painting and drawing, that an artist can abstract and manipulate what is before him. This is the first completed piece in this vein that I'm pleased with.

Encouraging Words

Over the past few months, as my work on the series Skeleton in the Closet has progressed, I've received quite a few encouraging emails and comments. These come from people who have participated in the series, people who have viewed the work online, and people who have come to the gallery shows.

While I've been curious from the beginning about how art can be therapeutic for people struggling with eating disorders, I didn't go into this series with the specific intention of helping people. I really just wanted to create good work about a difficult subject. So the feedback from people who have been encouraged by the work, found healing in the work, felt less alone because of these images and words, is a beautiful side benefit.

I thought I'd share a few here:

A friend of mine sent a link to your photos about eating disorders, and I just had to tell you how wonderful I think they are. Hearing from the subjects in their own words is so moving, and the photos themselves are amazing. They really do capture that eating disorders don't discriminate, those who suffer from them come in all shapes and sizes...the stereotypes we picture aren't always true. As someone who's battled an ED for over 10 years now, it's very rare to find something that seems to capture how we really feel. I think this exhibition has done that, and I thank you for posting it. Take care.

Keva

Fritz,

I just wanted to thank you for your work; I've struggled with an eating disorder for the past four years (seems like forever) and recently 'relapsed'. It is rare yet inspiring to see such honest, diverse depictions of individuals and their stories. Although it is still a work in progress, I am wondering if I could be added to a mailing list or possibly receive information as to when it will be published/where it will be available - I'm definitely interested in buying a copy and supporting your work.

Thank you so much,
Kristin P

I spoke to you on the 'Face The Issue' message boards quite a while ago. I remembered it the other day and stumbled across the website for your photographs. I just wanted to say that I think you have done a wonderful wonderful job.

Reading the introduction, with the line "I've seen thinner" seems to sum it all up. No matter what people expect or feel, there's always thinner. I think you have shown-in such a beautiful way- that people suffering from eating disorders aren't always thin and are definitely not always people who are obsessed with how they look or how much they weigh.
Everytime I look at your photos I find another quote that I relate to, the words match the photos in both their beauty and complexity.

Make sure you post a link to your photography on the FTI website, I'm sure the others would benefit from seeing it.

Thank-you,

Looloo6

Hi Fritz!
I got your wonderful photo and story today! Thank you so much for putting my story, my experience, into a photo and words so eloquently. I cannot thank you enough!
-Elizabeth L

Fritz,

Great show. It's so hard to do what you have done. It's rare to see
work that balances subject and the visual, complimenting each other
in such a powerful way. It's so easy to make seductive and beautiful
images at the expense of content. You didn't compromise and you
treated everyone with respect including the viewer.

Jim L

Thank you so much for including me in this. I really was surprised at how much I connected with you even at our first meeting. I truly feel like working with you allowed me to let go of my eating disorder in a way that I can celebrate forever. Thank you.

Kaarina

i feel so honored to be a part of it. I'm going to try and make it down to see the show today. thank you so much for being an outlet for me :) I would love to help with your future projects if you find a need for me!

-Megan

My name is Jamie, and I guess I'm bulimic. I stumbled upon a link to your work, and I found it to be very powerful. I am 30 years old, and it made me feel a bit less alone with having an ED at my age when I saw the photos and read the stories of your subjects.



Thank you putting together the skeleton in the closet, it helped remind me that recovery is not some unattainable gold floating way out there.
Lisa



I came across your photographs in "Skeletons in the Closet" and I wanted to congratulate you on how well you portrayed the suffering of eating disorders. I am in "recovery" (however, each day is still a struggle) from bulimia and anorexia and found these photos to be very well done. When most people try to portray eating disorders, they show only the 80 pound, near death girls, and this really puts a real face on the disease. The women in the picture could be anyone- teenagers, mothers, daughters, friends, teachers, doctors, etc. Job well done!

Karly

Thank you so much for the beautiful artwork. I could see a slice of my life (or a slight variation of my own pain) within all your portraits of the women and men that are suffering from various manifestations of the eating disorder. It was sort of walking through a simultaneously very poignant, ugly and beautiful, scary but all too familiar hall of mirrors.

Ana

I just needed to tell you that you have completely been able to capture the soul of so many victims of the eating disorder community with your photos. I was so moved to tears when reading the different stories and looking at the photos. I have had an ED for most of my 50 years on this earth. There is so much that the medical community does not know about this awful disorder and can never begin to uncover. You have captured that pain, the insanity, the torture, the hope, the destruction with your photos. I would love to look at these photos everyday to see that I am not alone. I am not singled out because these disorder crosses all races, ages, gender. Why don't you present this to the psychiatric and medical community? They need to learn how to help us. Thank you so much for taking your time and your creativity to focus on ME.

Debbie
Philadelphia

Fritz,
I just wanted to thank you again for giving me the chance to work with you on your series. This was a huge step in the right direction for me and i'm glad that i got to express this part of myself.
Stephen


Hi Fritz,
I was just browsing through your blogspot and I felt moved to say that you are such an exceptional person and I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to share such a personal aspect of my life with such an extraordinary artist. Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,

Valerie

Environmental Portraits Class at PNCA

I was just looking through the new Pacific NW College of Art catalog for Winter 2008. They included a photo of one of my studio lighting classes (I'm the blue chest on the right), and a sweet little quote from one of my student evaluations.

This January/February, I'll be teaching my Environmental Portrait class. Here's the scoop:

The Environmental Portrait places a person in the context of their natural surroundings, and communicates more about them than is possible in a studio or simple headshot. Photographers use environmental portraiture to document figures in popular culture (Annie Liebowitz), make social commentary and documentary (Dorothea Lange), and more. In this class we will look at master location portrait photographers; review and critique each other's work; and discuss how location portraits say much about the subject, as well as the social and political context in which they live. We will be working with models, available and artificial lighting, composition, camera and media choices, output and presentation. Both film and digital are welcome. The class will culminate with a portrait series as a final project.

This being one of my favorite subjects in both my artistic and commercial work, I enjoy this class a great deal. If you share this passion, and want to push your work further, consider signing up for this workshop. Spaces are limited.

You can find out more here.

See more of my Portland environmental portrait photographs at www.fritzphotographic.com.

Skeleton at DaVinci

Selected images from the series Skeleton in the Closet will be on display at Portland's DaVinci Arts Middle School from November 13-December 8. These photographs (including new work recently completed) will be in the Library, and in display cases around the school. It will also be on display during the annual DaVinci Arts Fair.

During this month, I will be teaming up with their counselor to host 6 different small group discussions about eating disorders, art, and whatever else their brilliant adolescent minds come up with. Should be interesting!

Interview on Eagle and Child

Jeffrey Overstreet is a film critic, author, and connoisseur of and commentator on the arts. He has several very popular blogs. And on one of them, Eagle and Child, he's posted an interview he did with me recently, on my series Skeleton in the Closet. You can read the interview here.

I also noticed another blogger commenting on my work, and on this interview, at The Walrus Said. I've been quite moved lately by how this series is affecting those that view it, and Janet's thoughts are no exception. I'll post more on this subject soon.

Scott and Leigh, Up a Tree

This past summer, Scott and Leigh hired me to photograph their wedding next summer. These two like to plan ahead, which is a good thing when planning a wedding. They told me today they're having an Italian duet--accordian and violin--play at their wedding, which sounds delightful.

The weather this week has been splendid here in the Pacific Northwest. We went out on the Portland Eastside Waterfront and photographed their engagement portraits, which was a lot of fun, especially when they decided to climb up into a willow for some shots. Scott told men, after climbing up into and down out of the tree, "You make me feel so young again!" I'll have to work that into my advertising....






These guys make being a Portland wedding photographer so enjoyable!

Bright Shining Stars

Photographers often pack a lot of goofy goodies in their bags: sewing kits, vaseline-coated filters, Lensbabies, old video camera lenses, kleenex, rubber bands and 3x5 cards. All useful things for shooting creatively. I like to pull out the Lensbaby sometimes, and play around with some fun apertures. Here are a few photographs from this lovely Northwest week.

While photographing for another project today, a gorgeous autumn day at Portland's Riverview Cemetery, I took a few other images as well. Here's a portrait of Amanda:



And a portrait of Stephanie at Peninsula Park:


See the best of this creative Portland portrait photographer at www.fritzphoto.com.

In Memory of Brett Jarolimek

Two weeks ago, I walked in to Pacific Northwest College of Art to teach a photography class. Inside the entrance, I was saddened to see a memorial for Tracey Sparling, the 19-year old who had been killed when a cement truck turned into her bike lane and crushed her. I had heard of the accident, but hadn't known she was a current PNCA student, and though I didn't know Tracey, her part in the PNCA community brought the tragedy one step closer to me, and I was deeply saddened by our loss.

Just 3 years ago, this same spot in the entrance to PNCA showcased a memorial to my dear friend and classmate Sebastian Garrido-Bor. To this day, I will catch myself glancing at a tall, thin, dark-haired stranger on a sidewalk or store, and think, "Hey, is that Sebastian...," wanting to go and shake his hand, give him a hug, and hear him say in his South American accent, "How are you doing, my friend?" only to be reminded of the hole he left in the world when he died of cancer.

Last Tuesday, on my way out from teaching an evening photography class at the school, I noticed that Tracey's photograph had been removed from its pedestal. The next morning, I entered the school to find the same pedestal topped with a new photograph and flowers. In the frame was a yearbook photograph of my friend Brett Jarolimek, with a piece of paper taped to the front: "1976-2007".

Brett and I went to PNCA together, studied art history together. Though a painting major, he enjoyed taking photographs, and would show me what he'd been up to now and then, asking me for feedback. He was, like me, lanky, always smiling, friendly and warm. When I'd go in to Art Media, he'd make me feel extra welcome. Shannon and I went to an art opening of his work, on Mississippi. I was always happy to run into him, and doing so never failed to brighten my day. Even the memory of him brings a smile to my face.

Grief is a difficult place to be writing from. Brett was a sweet guy, and his death is tragic on so many levels. His loss to his friends and family, and to his community, is real and deeply felt. Though young (31), he had touched many lives with his cheer and kindness, friendship and artwork and love for bike racing. He will be terribly missed by those closest to him, but even those graced with only the briefest exchange with him--in the Bike Gallery, or at an art gallery--must know their loss. The world will be poorer without him.

So it is with great sadness that I write this memorial, and wish Brett's family my condolences. Know that his short time here was not wasted, and that his friendship was a blessing to many.

A memorial Ghost Bike was set up at the intersection of N Interstate and Greeley,
where Brett was crushed by a garbage truck October 22, 2007.
He was well-loved, as evidenced by the artwork, flowers, and biking gear left in his honor.

Read and post remembrances here.

A memorial will be held Monday at PNCA.

The Ghost Bikes website.

Owen and Erika

It's a beautiful week for outdoor fall portraits here in Portland. Owen is a sweet child, and he and his beautiful mom worked with me as the sun was fading in the west, creating some fun and poignant portraits.









See more of our award-winning Portland portrait photography at www.fritzphoto.com.

Skeleton in the Closet at Littman Gallery

www.skeletoninthecloset.net

Skeleton in the ClosetStories from the lives of those affected by eating disorders.

I'm pleased to announce the culmination of the past 2 years' of work on my photo documentary on eating disorders. Please join me for this exhibition in the beautiful Littman Gallery, at Portland State University. The show includes 42 photographs with accompanying texts.


October 4-24, 2007

Littman Gallery
PSU, Smith Center, 2nd Floor, Room 2501825 SW Broadway
Portland
Gallery open Monday-Friday, 12-4 pm
Please join us for the opening reception:
First Thursday, October 4, 5-7 pm



This body of work made possible in part by a grant from RACC.


For More Information:

Fritz Liedtke:www.fritzphoto.com/thinkontrol

Littman Gallery: (503) 725-5656

Jennifer Stoots Fine Photography:www.photostoots.com

Long Island Boardwalk

After a photo shoot in Long Island, NY, my friend Rich Swingle and I raced out to Long Beach before the sun set, hoping to get in the water on one of the last warm days of the season. We arrived, and walked up the boardwalk facing the ocean. Looking to our left, the full moon was just rising above the horizon, and to the right, the red sun was setting. Same size orbs on either end of the horizon, perfectly symmetrical.

Here's my poorly assembled panoramic of the scene. (When, oh when, will someone come out with a great panoramic digital camera? Or even a poor one? Anything! Please!)



But my favorite thing to do, of course, is watch people. As I was there on the boardwalk, watching the sun set, this young couple came up the ramp from the beach. The boy was carrying a skateboard, its wheels and underside coated in thick, wet sand. He came over and asked if I had a light, and we started talking. They'd been trying to skate on the sand at the water's edge, and both agreed that it hadn't been a successful venture. He's from Hawaii, and she's from France. They graciously allowed me to photograph them there on the boardwalk, in the failing sunlight.


See more of my travel and editorial photography in New York and around the world at www.fritzphotographic.com.