A Photographic Journey Of Fritz Hoffmann

Date: 21st October, 2010
Time: 5 P.M. Onwards
Venue: GD Birla Sabhaghar

Fritz Hoffmann will be presenting his life as a photographer, which began almost three decades ago and led him to spend the past 16 years documenting change in China. 13 of those years were as a full time resident photojournalist based in Shanghai. Hoffmann has travelled to every province and municipality in China on assignment for western magazines and as a contract photographer for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine.

Fritz was also filmed by National Geographic Channel on his recent photo documentation of the Shaolin Monks- The cover story of National Geographic October 2010. The documentary, to be featured in the 'Most Amazing Photos', is scheduled for a global premiere on National Geographic Channel on the 24th of October, 2010.

In light of his past experiences the topic of the talk is to be Development of China: A photographic journey.

Fritz Hoffmann (American) is recognized for his photographic work documenting change in China as a resident photojournalist based in Shanghai from 1995-2008. His pictures have been widely published and exhibited. He is a frequent contributor to National Geographic magazine. Hoffmann’s work has made an important contribution to world understanding of modern China. He was the first foreign photographer since 1949 to receive accreditation from China’s Foreign Ministry to reside outside Beijing, the political capital. He studied Mandarin at East China University of Science and Technology and at Shanghai University Academy of Fine Art. He has photographed in each of China’s provinces and municipalities several times. China continues to be the primary focus of his work.

Prior to his move to China, Fritz established his place as a respected international photojournalist while working with JB Pictures in New York. Under the JB banner, he moved his base of operations to Nashville, Tennessee just before the first term of US President Bill Clinton, which increased interest in the American South. After JB closed, he opened the Network Photographers (UK), Shanghai bureau in 1997 as photo-correspondent. In 2002 Fritz co-founded the online picture library, documentCHINA.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Fritz was raised in a large family with a history of craftsmen. He began photography as a kid hitchhiking across the Pacific Northwest and then printing his pictures in the home darkroom. He honed his photography skills while slinging king crab in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Fritz supported his early travel and photography with work as a carpenter. Travel experiences steered him to pursue social documentary photography and reportage. He spent 5 years working at newspapers in Seattle, Charleston, West Virginia and Knoxville, Tennessee before entering magazine work.