Rick Cruz was born in Havana, Cuba but came to the United States at the age of one with his family to live and grow up in South Florida. Rick’s love for Florida’s wilderness developed while traveling the Tamiami Trail between Miami and Sarasota as far back as he can remember. He now hikes and explores through those same areas with camera gear in hand.

For Rick, his camera has become his 3rd eye. He not only has a keen sense and natural instinct as a photographer, but a driving passion to capture the “right shot”.

Rick prefers black and white as his medium of choice to best reflect nature’s true dimensions of light and shadows. Florida’s ever changing landscape challenges Rick to adapt different techniques to bring her to life through film.

Rick has become a Internationally renowned photographer with his work exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and Europe.His work has also been published in numerous books.

Believing that to show the beauty of our National Parks and Reserves will inspire people to appreciate and protect our environment; Rick also gives back to his community by donating his work to various worthwhile causes.

“I am intrigued by Florida’s unique landscape and natural beauty.
With the Everglades and Big Cypress Region, we are witnessing one of
nature’s most basic of survival instincts. She is maintaining a
fragile balance of a unique ecosystem; the only wetland of its kind
on our planet. As the Everglades offers the inspiration, I feel my
purpose is to try and capture Her essence and soul in my work and to
share with ours and future generations.

“Connect With Nature to Change a Mood”
GALLERY EXHIBITS

Old Davie School Museum (currently through Oct. 1, 2004)

Florida Everglades National Park, Earnest F. Coe Gallery. (April 3 through June 2nd, 2004) This was a special invitation by the National Park Service for a Solo Exhibit.

AfterImage Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida, 2004
Special encore invitation (June 3rd through July 31st)

Studio 100 Art Gallery, Florida City, Florida 2004

AfterImage Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida, 2004

Rive Gauche Gallery, Coconut Grove, Florida, 2004

Rick’s work is on permanent exhibit in Coral Gables and Sarasota, Florida.

Future Showings:

Gilded Hand Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida (September 9th through 23rd, 2004)

Operation Smile, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Coral Gables, Florida (September 30th, 2004. Top 25 renowned Local Artists chosen.

Museum of the Americas, “ENCOUNTERS” Exhibit, Miami, Florida (September 10th through October 2nd, 2004)

DOTFIFTYONE Gallery (July 29th through September 1st, 2004)

Collier County Museum, Summer, 2005

PUBLICATIONS

Rick’s work appears in the following Photography publications dedicated to Florida:
Endless Journeys, September, 2004
The Florida Keys: A Photographic Portrait, 2002
Miami and South Beach, Florida, 2002
International Library of Photography-Portraits of Life, 1999 (out of print)

“Connect With Nature to Change a Mood”