MITCH RIDDER

MEDIUM

Photography

ARTIST STATEMENT

“A painter’s sense of light. A graphic designer’s aesthetic for composition. A lifeguard’s anticipation and vision. A newspaper photojournalist’s storytelling. All have given me my intuitive timing to see and capture Laguna’s sense of place.”

ARTIST BIO

Mitch Ridder’s background has trained his eye for nuance. Twenty-four years as an illustrator and graphic designer bring a sense of color and composition. Thirty-eight years as an ocean lifeguard bring vision with anticipation. Thirteen years as a newspaper photojournalist have developed his talent to document and tell stories. Once told his “paintings look like photos,” now he hears, “your photos look like paintings.” Ridder’s viewfinder frames Laguna with its cinematic light and true sense of place.

Ridder’s photos helped prompt President Obama to add Laguna’s offshore rocks to the California Coastal National Monument in 2017. Additionally, he was a finalist in the 2021 Epson International Pano Awards and won “Best News Photo” in 2023 from the OC Press Club.

In addition to these honors, Ridder has also been published in Digital Photo Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor and The Surfer’s Journal.

ARTIST VIDEO