KIRK GITTINGS 

Born in 1950 in Alaska Territory, Kirk Gittings has resided in New Mexico for 48 years. A dedicated photographer since 1970, he first studied photography at the University of New Mexico's famous photography department and ultimately received a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1983.

Since graduate school, he has taught and written regularly about photography and become one of the most widely published and exhibited architectural photographers in the Southwest. His commercial architectural photography has appeared on over 125 magazine covers and in 35 books, while his black and white art photography is represented in many museum, corporate and private collections in the US. In addition, he is currently an adjunct professor at UNM and has been a visiting artist 7 times at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has also taught at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, the View Camera Magazine Workshops and the Real World Scanning Workshops.

He has received many prestigious honors including a major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, membership in the Polaroid Artist Support Group and appointment to the Freestyle Advisory Board of Photographic Professionals in Hollywood. In 2003 the editors of THROUGH THE LENS: INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHERS selected him as one of the leading architectural photographers in the world. His first book, CHACO BODY with poet V.B. Price about the Anasazi ruins at Chaco Canyon, has been critically acclaimed as a major contribution to New Mexico art.

 In 2005 a 30 year retrospective of his architectural photography entitled SHELTER FROM THE STORM: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF KIRK GITTINGS was published by New Mexico Magazine and exhibited at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. As a result of that book and exhibit, the State Legislature of New Mexico in 2006 honored Kirk for his life's work with a  proclamation. In 2007, New Mexico Magazine featured OF MUD, STONE, STEEL AND GLASS, a portfolio from the life's work of Kirk Gittings in their annual calender.

Also in 2007, along with Joel Meyerowitz, Mac Holbert, et al, Kirk contributed a chapter to Andrew Darlow's book: 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers.

For Kirk Gittings full resume go to: Resume

In New Mexico, Kirk Gittings is represented by Sara Smith Contemporary  www.sarasmithcontemporary.com/gittings/index.htm

(The top image is of Kirk Gittings signing a book for his friend, Dr. Michael Keslin, at an Albuquerque Museum booksigning in 2005 [Photo by Patrick Carr/CARR IMAGING]. The bottom image is a self portrait at one of Kirk's favorite sites, the Guadalupe Chaco outlier site overlooking Cabezon Butte in New Mexico, 2006 [assisted by Jim Hunter]. This image was originally created for the cover of the Freestyle Photographic Fall 2006 catalog.)