Creator Record
Metadata
Name |
Guirard, Greg |
Notes |
Greg Guirard was born in Louisiana on May 19, 1937 and graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree in agronomy in 1960 and with a master's degree in English in 1963. Though photography had always been a passion for Guirard, he never formally studied the subject and worked in various other odd jobs such as voice coaching, a Basin tour guide, crawfish harvester, cattle farmer, working in a saw mill, and teaching English both in Lafayette and Costa Rica. In 1978, Guirard returned to Louisiana and began collecting, cleaning, and selling driftwood. During this time he began to photograph the Atchafalaya Basin. He made a point to capture the landscape during early morning hours when the lights and colors were more intense, and preferred to leave the images unaltered-claiming that the subjects make their own aesthetic decisions. The first of Guirard's books, Seasons of Light, was published in 1983; though this book mainly focused on the landscapes, eventually Guirard began to incorporate the inhabitants and cultural traditions of the Basin as well. His focus on the Basin and its people have by causation made Guirard an advocate for the waterways and cultural habitat that the Basin area provides. He was active in the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, which promotes awareness of the Basin's unique character through monitoring activities, public programs, and other forms of environmental support for the area. Greg Guirard passed on June 2, 2017 in Lafayette, Louisiana. |
Nationality |
American |
Occupation |
Photographer |
