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Rich Rygh -- chief photographer
When Rich Rygh joined The Capital Times in 1977, he was already a well-established photographer in the Madison area. His combination of local knowledge, photographic skill and hard work quickly made him a vital member of the newspaper's photo corps.
Rich has had a long-standing interest in photography. He had his first photo published in the Oregon Observer when he was 13. He earned his degree in graphics arts photography in 1970.
When a devastating tornado hit Barneveld in June of 1984, Rich wasted no time getting into a plane and shooting the first dramatic aerial shots that documented the destruction.
Over the years, Rich emerged as a popular photographer with reporters. He listened carefully to what the story was about and worked to help convey that in the photos he took. That ability to listen and to strive for photos that helped tell the story served him well when he took over as photo chief in 1998.
During his decade leading our photo department, Rich helped guide the technical revolution that was sweeping through the newsroom. He helped us make the shift from film to digital photography. He helped our photo staff develop the ability to send photos back from the scene of breaking news stories, enabling us to get them both onto our Web site and into our print edition. He worked with our librarians on developing the system for archiving photos.
Under his leadership, the photo staff received many state and national honors for their work. Through all of this, Rich provided steady to guidance to the photographers who worked for him, helping them grow as professionals while being attentive to the personal needs that are part of everyone's lives.
From Phil Haslanger, contributing editor
Rich Rygh
