Come journey with us as we explore and highlight the people and places that make the Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian Mountains special and unique
Local Wildlife Photographer Has Global Influence
Charles “Chas” Glatzer is a world renowned wildlife photographer, educator lecturer, and instructor. He is a member of the prestigious Canon Explorers of Light (EOL) and hosts workshops all around the world. Chas has received numerous international awards for his work and service to the industry, and his images have been published in magazines such as National Geographic, Outdoor Photography, Smithsonian, National Parks and many others.
In addition to EOL, Chas is also the founder and owner of Shoot the Light, a successful instructional wildlife photography company based in Western North Carolina.
“It’s not really about the wildlife pictures, it’s about the experience and also about teaching people how to do wildlife”
Chas’ love for photography can be traced back to his high school dark room class. He was hooked the moment he first moved film from the enlarger to the developer and saw the image come to life.
Photography became a full-time endeavor for Chas after high school and he quickly found himself immersed in a highly successful and lucrative commercial photography business booking weddings and high society parties in Manhattan and Long Island. He developed a flair for high-end formal portraits and continually honed his craft visiting museums, studying Rembrandt lighting, formal poses, and persistently networking with other experienced photographers.
Trading Portraits For Wildlife
Chas then met Sherry, an avid scuba diver, who would become his wife. Chas combined his love of photography and diving, and for the first time the idea of wildlife photography came into view. The combined experiences of scuba diving, photography, and marine science sparked an interest so deep in Chas that it would soon change the entire direction of his professional career.
Chas spent the next few years traveling the world on charter boats pursuing his blended passion of photography and marine science doing underwater photography.
It was during this time that Chas first had the idea of chartering boats and teaching other photographers what he was doing. The experience of teaching was life giving to Chas and soon his business and trip offerings took off far beyond what he could have ever imagined.
New Direction
As his interest grew deeper and stronger for teaching nature and wildlife photography, Chas was convinced he needed to follow his passion and take his business in a new direction. As he was preparing to exit the world of commercial photography he came under severe criticism from his peers. No one understood why Chas would want to surrender his lucrative commercial business that he spent so many years building, and they doubted whether or not Chas could make a living with wildlife photography.
Chas’ critics couldn’t understand why he would teach his craft. They thought he would sabotage his own career if he taught people his secrets and techniques.
“Helping budding photographers get excited and learn about the process…that’s why I do what I do.”
Shoot The Light Is Born
In 1998 Chas combined his love of nature, photography & teaching and launched Shoot The Light, a company that offers instructional workshops and travel adventures to budding photographers. Today, STL offers 18 trips per year to some of the most beautiful and sometimes exclusive access locations in the world such as the Falkland Islands, Yellowstone, Manitoba, Norway, Alaska, Africa, and Iceland. Numerous workshops and individually designed events are also held throughout the year right here in beautiful western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains.
To Chas, the experience of being in these beautiful locations is primary, and the pictures are secondary. He wants his students to develop an eye for photography by being fully present in the moment, visualizing the scene around them, seeing the photo they want to take before they take it, and then distilling it all down to something that has visual impact…making form out of chaos. For Chas, his photography career has always been about the process more than the picture.
“It’s impossible to separate the aesthetic from the experience.”
Whether on a chartered boat to an exclusive location, a classroom in a log cabin in the Smoky Mountains, small group workshop, personalized one day trip, or speaking engagement, every experience is customer centric and instructionally oriented.
Pinnacle Of His Career
In July 2015 Chas was invited to be a member of Canon Explorers of Light Program (EOL), a prestigious group of the world’s leading professional photographers, because of his excellence in photography, service to the industry, and heart for teaching and sharing. As a Canon EOL, Chas has the opportunity to positively affect countless aspiring photographers as he travels around the globe sharing his passion and knowledge of photography and influencing the way his audiences see the world.
Chas remains incredibly humble in light of the 40 plus awards, hundreds of successful trips, and helping students win major contests with pictures they captured while being coached on one of STL trips. How? Because he truly views his photography and teaching skills as a gift, and that his gift is to be shared with others. Chas has never viewed photography as a job, but rather an extension of who he is, and how he was made.
Free Time
When Chas isn’t traveling the globe teaching or guiding he can be found fly fishing on a local stream, cruising the scenic roads and byways in Western North Carolina, and nestled up in his cabin with his family.
Interested in learning more about 2020 Shoot The Light Workshops?
Interested in contacting Chas and Shoot The Light?
