I’m taking a large step away from the blog to focus on 1-2 projects I plan to announce early next spring. Enjoy summer, stay cool, be productive, and do good things. I will see you in the fall.

As a photographer, I am interested with my relationship to time, memory, and psychology. Sometimes when I need a break while working on the computer, I get up, stretch, take a walk, or ride through my photographic archive of memories.

Writing about this topic, my father comes in the room to tell me about a funeral he attended last week for a friend he served with in the Army. “Although it was 56 years ago, it still feels like yesterday,” he said and walked away.

I made this photograph shortly after I began working with the 4×5; 3 years ago.

Dad, Syracuse, New York, 2007

Announcement of Uganda: A River Blue exhibition in the current issue of French PHOTO. Thanks Eve and French PHOTO for bringing this together.

Carry Me Home from Barefoot Workshops.

Title: Carry Me Home
A Film By: David Wright and Susan Fritz
Produced By: Barefoot Workshops, Inc.
Instructors: Julie Winokur, Teddy Symes, Yoni Brook & Chandler Griffin
Sponsors by: Canon USA, Sennheiser, Bogen Imaging, Lowel, Litepanels
Created: February 2010, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Synopsis: A self-determined man confronts his past, is given a chance, and discovers the freedom to change on the Sunflower River.

—

This was my first foray into documentary filmmaking and the experience was nothing short of remarkable. There were 12 students including myself, 4 incredible instructors with a plethora of experience and knowledge, and an endlessly helpful support staff composed of savvy locals and Delta Workshop alumni students.

Our home base was the Shack Up Inn in the Mississippi Delta. It was an ideal environment to learn, edit, eat, and sleep, although there was not much sleeping to be had after week 1! Thanks to all for making these 2 weeks beyond enjoyable.

I highly recommend Barefoot Workshops for documentary filmmaking and photography. For more information, visit Barefoot Workshops.

Join and support us tonight, March 4th from 6:30-8:30PM for the opening reception of Uganda: A River Blue at AnastasiaPhoto in New York. The opening reception and exhibition are open to the public.

This work was created in January and February 2009 when I spent 2 months in northern Uganda photographing for A River Blue, a school providing psychosocial counseling and intense vocational training in topics like tailoring, agriculture, and arts to vulnerable youth.

A beautiful A River Blue catalogue designed by Josh Gomby and printed by Booksmart Studio in an edition of 200 will be released at the opening reception. The catalogue will be available through donations of any amount and 100% of the proceeds go to A River Blue.

Additionally, Chandler Griffin, founder of A River Blue, and I will give an artist’s talk Tuesday, March 16th, from 6:30-8:30PM at AnastasiaPhoto.

AnastasiaPhoto is located at 166 Orchard Street, New York, New York.

This is the first photograph I made this year. I’m falling in love with this park.

Strathmore Park, Syracuse, New York, 2009

I added a selection of portraits from 2009 to my website. View them here.

Elizabeth, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, 2009

I’m proud to announce my first solo exhibition with Anastasia Photo in New York February 5 – March 31, 2009. I will be exhibiting both my Alebtong, Uganda and Murchison Falls works. We’re in the editing process right now and so far the selection looks quite beautiful. More specifics will be announced soon.

Anastasia Photo is a remarkable gallery not only because Felicia, the curator, and Ryan, her assistant curator, are wonderful but also because each exhibition is coupled with a related philanthropic organization. It’s fitting to have the exhibition aligned with A River Blue as many of the works being exhibited were made during my time working with ARB.

I saw love before,
the best love in the United States.
I can hear love
in the wind
like an airplane going across the sky.
Love is the best thing
that can happen to you.

-Willie Gilmore

Love, Portland, Oregon, 2008