RIP Frank Lee Ruggles, former NPS Eminent Photographer

[Michael Roberts]

According to accounts, Frank died suddenly this past weekend. I had the privilege of meeting Frank a couple of years ago in Canyonlands.

https://www.instagram.com/frankleeruggles/?hl=en

https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Light-Exploration-American-Landscape/dp/0692836802

https://youtu.be/fXox9nhNAak

[Roger Beck]

I knew him only by reputation. I stopped at Don's Photo Equipment in Dallas and found some tanks and holders I needed but only what was left after Ruggles had recently purchased and hauled off in a carload more stuff for his darkroom. Don talked at length about Ruggles enthusiasm, kindness and appreciation.

[Michael Roberts]

Yes, though my encounter with Frank was brief, he was very engaging, very enthusiastic about large format photography and about our national parks, and very down-to-earth. The youtube video I linked above is a very fitting tribute and shows what he was about. An amazing man.

[Salmo22]

Just a few weeks ago I had been communicating with Frank about a DIY darkroom sink project. He was generous and encouraging as I peppered him with questions. His "79 Year Project" was compelling and I followed his progress with great interest. I pray for comfort and peace for his family and friends. So tragic.

[Michael Kadillak]

Yes, though my encounter with Frank was brief, he was very engaging, very enthusiastic about large format photography and about our national parks, and very down-to-earth. The youtube video I linked above is a very fitting tribute and shows what he was about. An amazing man.

Terribly sorry to hear of his passing Michael. The video correctly and honestly portrays the passion that photography brought to his life from his disconnect to the world post his Service time when he was homeless to the most recent Ansel Adams passion project. You can tell he absolutely loved photography. Gone way too soon. RIP.

[QT Luong]

The obit (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesdispatch/name/frank-ruggles-obituary?id=5943346) refers to him accurately as a "Federal Photographer". He was hired to document the NPS collections, not their lands. I attended one of his presentations/book signings, maybe in 2017. He was very warm, passionate about the parks, an incredible and larger than life story teller. It seems that at that time he had not started shooting large format. He made up lost time with the 79 years project, which I thought was a cool idea.

[Scott Davis]

I think I met him in person at Dominion Camera in Falls Church one day. We talked at length about his Pentax 645Z digital camera. He was a very kind and generous soul. I recently connected with him on Facebook, and we may have been very distant relations. I was looking forward to getting to meet him in person again some day and furthering that conversation. RIP.

[Michael Roberts]

Here is some more info about Frank:

"Frank Lee Ruggles is a National Park Eminent Photographer, TV Personality, Writer, Musician, and Award Winning Photographer. Following in the footsteps of Ansel Adams, he has captured stunning photographs of America's natural wonders in some of the most rarely seen and hard to reach places." https://www.nps.gov/sagu/learn/news/saguaro-national-park-march-program-schedule.htm

https://islandeyenews.com/next-ansel-adams-charleston/

https://parktrust.org/news/in-memoriam-frank-lee-ruggles-1966-2021/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQNxCZLG0OM (at :35)

https://medium.com/@frankleeruggles/getting-back-into-film-6ac3f2f06e4c

https://www.79-yp.com/

[QT Luong]

Jerry Spencer for Island Eye News writes "Every 10 years, the National Parks Service hires a photographer to re-shoot the same scenes Ansel Adams shot. Over one thousand artists applied for the job". However, in his presentation (which is a tour-of-force), Frank stated that his job was to document the NPS artifact collections, and that he made his landscape photographs in his spare time, taking advantage of the locations where his job took him.