Bill Reckert:
CLASS OF 1973
Herndon High SchoolClass of 1973
Herndon, VA
Bill's Story
Bill is from Washington, District Of Columbia. Bill's schools include Herndon High School. Bill later attended Palm Beach State College (Graphic/Illustration Design, Photography) .
Music Bill likes includes Gregg Allman, Motown Records, Herbie Hancock. Books Bill likes include John D Macdonald Novels. Movies Bill likes include Pirates of the Caribbean. TV shows Bill likes include SONS OF ANARCHY, Deadliest Catch - F/V Cornelia Marie, Deadliest Catch.
One of Bill's favorite quotes is:""My head hurts, my feet stink and I don't love Jesus. Was that kind of morning; really was that kind of night. Try to tell myself my condition is improvin'. If I don't die by Thursday, I'll be roaring Friday night." Jimmy BuffettOR "The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful." OR "If the phone doesn't ring, it's me."".
More about Bill:"Bill Reckert has taken photos in hurricanes, hung out of a helicopter over a surging glacier, and photographed the Vice President of the United States. He exercised training and experience to accomplish multi-task federal project assignments under moderate to severe adverse working conditions including aboard U.S. Army Black hawk Helicopters; an FAA Cessna Citation V Jet; Hillers FH-1100 Helicopter; Bell Ranger II Helicopter; Bell Ranger III Helicopter; Cessna 180 light aircraft; Cessna 185 light aircraft; FAA G-4 Gulf stream Jet (Spirit of America); National Airborne Operations Command (NAOC) 747 Aircraft; and the 215 foot research vessel R/V Atlantis II, Woods Hole, MA
A Washington, D.C. native, Reckert first came to Florida when he was 13, to visit his grandparents who had moved to Lake Worth from Virginia. He decided back then in the mid 60âs, that he would return to go to college at PBCC. Bill earned his Associate in Arts degree in the bicentennial class of 1976 and began earning his living as a professional photographer in the nationâs capital. He credits his success to the âeducational experiences I received at this collegeâ and also the early influence of a scoutmaster who helped him as an amateur photographer.
PBCC arts instructors Patrick Slatery, Rubin Hale, Pat Archer, Steve Rymer and Gene Arant, Reckert said, taught him a sense of order, symmetry, balance and composition. âIn our classes at PBCC we had to have a fundamental knowledge of the visual elements and principles of design. I have never forgotten and I still use those basic concepts in my work today,â he said.
After graduating from PBCC, Reckert worked as a professional photographer for the U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey for 18 years and then the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for 5 more years. He also taught more than 110 photography courses over 14 years, emphasizing theory, compositional skills and camera handling through the Adult Education Division of Fairfax County, Virginia.
During his tenure with the U.S. Geological Survey, Reckert is most proud of his research photographic and video graphic project contributions while on assignment to the Bering Glacier Research Program from 1993 to 2000. He spent months in remote regions of coastal south central Alaska camped on the ice field of the largest glacier in continental North America. He harnessed himself to an open helicopter to hang over the glacier, and stood steps away from towering ice margins. Reckert provided CBS News, Los Angeles bureau with original video tape footage of Alaskan glaciers and the Bagley Ice Field for inclusion in a nationally broadcast CBS Evening News Eye on America segment, hosted by senior correspondent Dan Rather, which highlighted ongoing U.S. Geological Survey research activities.
Reckert served as the official photographer of record for an historic U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey project in Alaska, to replicate the original photographic legacy of Harrimanâs 1899 expedition to the glaciers of Prince William Sound with updated images from the 2000 field season. He accomplished this work from aboard the 58-foot research vessel R/V Auklet registered in Cordova, Alaska. Reckertâs photo exhibition entitled âViews from the Ice Bering Glacier Alaskaâ has been shown around the country, including at PBCC. CNN, The Discovery Channel...Expand for more
, French National Television, Japanese TV, national television networks, and others have broadcast his video footage from Alaska.
Reckert conducted lectures for the National Wildlife Federation, the Blue Ridge Arts Council, the American Artistsâ Studios, the Loudoun County Arts Council, the National Science Foundation, Northern Virginia Community College Senior Citizen Lecture Series, and the George Washington University on dynamic Alaskan glacial environments and the challenges of working in proximity to one of the largest temperate glaciers on earth.
Reckert served five years as Senior Photographer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and performed assigned duties in a capacity as personal photographer to former agency director and presidential Clinton cabinet appointee, the Hon. James Lee Witt. Reckertâs work with FEMA involved national field photography and video support for emergency response and recovery operations during major Presidential disaster declarations.
Reckert delivered professional photographic support services for one Vice President, eight United States Senators, nine United States Congressmen, six State Governors, seven City Mayors and two Senate Confirmation Hearings. When he photographed Al Gore, he said, Vice President Gore had âan immediate demeanor that conveyed an absolute presence and command, when he appeared.â
As Wittâs personal photographer, Reckert was often called to the directorâs office to photograph VIP visitors. Pete Red Tomahawk and Chief Jesse Taken Alive, both Standing Rock Sioux Indian leaders, particularly impressed him. âThey were two of the most authentic human beings Iâve ever met,â Reckert said. âThey embraced the history and culture of their people and their way of life. They possessed a quiet, unspoken sense of pride and made no pretense about their ancestral history.â
The Prime Minister of Japan once questioned Reckertâs camera set-up that was being used for a photo shoot of Japanese dignitaries. The camera, seated on a monopod, was connected rather ominously to three different flashes. âIf you canât dazzle them with quality, baffle them with equipment,â Reckert told the Japanese leader. The prime minister just walked away laughing.
Despite the dozens of congressmen, senators, other federal officials and international leaders he has photographed, Reckert maintains a âsacrilegious disregard for the political arena.â âThe whole discipline doesnât appeal to me,â he said. âAnyone who sticks his head above water automatically makes both friends and enemies. Itâs the nature of the jobâ
In the summer that followed his graduation from PBCC, Reckert did a favor for a personal friend named Ellen Amos. When Amos was beginning a career in the 70âs, Reckert took publicity photos. Reckert has since provided original photography, video footage, audio recordings, and background information to Atlantic Recording Corporation, MTV Networks, VH-1 Productions, Music Sales Corporation, Sword and Stone Publishing, Inc., and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to document the career development of international music recording artist Tori Amos. His published credits include: All These Years Biography, Tori Amos Lyrics Book, Behind The Music, Behind The Music 2, Before They Were Rock Stars (episode #33), Before They Were Rock Stars III, Ultrasound -The Tori Philes, MTV Revue show #104, and MTV Fanatic.
Again, he credits PBCC for his success on this project. âMy ability to organize and to communicate with the record companies are reflected in my academic experience at PBCC,â Reckert said. âEnglish, science and other general education courses were a part of the complete learning process.â
For his work, Reckert was awarded 4 gold and 2 platinum and 2 double platinum Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) official music awards in recognition for superior archiving contributions on behalf of Ms. Amos.
Reckert is currently freelancing and thinks that going back to teach photography would be âan ideal position at this point in life.â He says he would strongly consider returning to PBCC as an instructor at his old haunt over in the Humanities department.
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