CC Lockwood, Founder and occasional instructor

Experience: Filmmaker, Artist, Author

There is an exuberating quality to CC when it comes to his home state of Louisiana, in which he is honored as a “Louisiana Legend” by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. With travels through most habitats in the world, America’s largest river basin swamp, the Atchafalaya basin remains his favorite place to shoot and one he holds dear to his heart. One of CC’s earliest efforts to make people aware of this ecosystem was a film he wrote and directed in 1977 titled “Atchafalaya: America’s Largest River Basin Swamp". Shortly thereafter, in 1979, CC’s work titled "Atchafalaya" was featured in National Geographic Magazine. In 1981, CC’s first book, "Atchafalaya: America’s Largest River Basin Swamp," was published. His work continued with "Atchafalaya Houseboat” photographs by CC Lockwood, LSU Press, 2006.

Twenty-five years after the publishing of his first book, CC Lockwood’s "Atchafalaya," was published in 2007. As one writer put it, "CC’s passion for the Atchafalaya as expressed by his photographs can be compared to John James Audubon’s exuberant appreciation for the state’s abundant bird life as depicted in his prints over 150 years ago." The writer goes on to say, "The art of both exalts Louisiana wildlife — and cautions against taking it for granted." More recently, the USPS chose CC’s iconic image "Flat Lake Sunset" as the official State of Louisiana bicentennial stamp.

CC has continuously worked to reveal the urgency of Louisiana’s vanishing coastal lands, with particular emphasis on the oil spill tragedy. Internationally acclaimed as an environmental artist, CC just released his 14th book this past year, "Louisiana Wild, The Lands Protected and Restored by The Nature Conservancy." The book portrays this organization's good work on over 280,000 acres of land in our state.