Formerly based on the beautiful southern Alabama Gulf Coast, Courtland William Richards is now based in Tallahassee, FL and is a professional photographer and video producer with over 40 years of experience in the media industry. Courtland was inspired by the creativity of photography while in his teens when he experimented with underwater photography as a novice SCUBA diver. Courtland became a production assistant and assistant camera operator for Glenn Lau Productions in 1974 and helped complete “The Fisherman” TV series in association with DuPont and Sports Afield Magazine! He graduated from Florida State University  in December 1977 with a B.A. degree in Visual Arts where he studied photography, painting, and print processes. During his tenure in Tallahassee, Courtland provided photography to The Flambeau student daily, to the FSU Athletic Department covering all men's and women's sports, and as a stringer photographer for United Press International.

His full time career began with positions with the Florida Department of State, Division of Archives and the Florida Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism as a staff photographer. Courtland advanced his career by moving to Atlanta and worked for 3 SCORE, a large commercial photography studio, for 2 years creating studio images for Rich's and Davidson's Department Stores products and appliances. While living in Atlanta, Courtland began a long relationship with Athlon Sports Communications of Nashville and produced quality sports images of college and pro football and pro baseball for their popular annuals. Moving on and up as a staff photographer for Southern Living Magazine and Oxmoor House Books in 1984, Courtland applied his experience in tourism, travel, and studio work to photograph travel stories for SL and book projects for Oxmoor House. Two years later, Courtland then opened his very successful commercial studio in Birmingham, AL and worked for editorial and advertising clients nationally and with local and regional advertising agencies and designers.

Courtland continued his sports career with Athlon, and added The Senior Bowl, Sports Illustrated, and NFL Properties as clients traveling regionally for sports events as well as continuing a busy studio schedule photographing food ( Little Debbie food products, packaging & displays ), people, autos, educational, and industrial products. Courtland came to south Alabama with his family in 1999 to work as the staff photographer for the University of South Alabama (1999-2003) and eventually built a new client base working from Daphne, AL. He continued his association with Southern Living Magazine (2007-2008) by completing 54 freelance travel assignments in approximately one year in addition to providing images to Zalea Magazine (Mobile, AL) for articles on food, architecture, and interiors. Courtland also contributed travel images to St. Joe Sweet Tea Journal, Southern Breeze Magazine, Mobile Bay Magazine, and to the Alabama Gulf Coast tourism industry including The Alabama Gulf Coast Annual Vacation Guides produced by Compass Media for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. Courtland continues his valuable relationship with the Senior Bowl (30 years) and has provided imaging to ThyssenKrupp Stainless Steel and Steel Divisions, Shell Oil, Compass Media for advertising, tourism, and travel, and to Coast 360 as a contributing video porducer. Before moving to Tallahassee from Gulf Shores, Courtland added Spectrum Resorts, Turquoise Place, The Beach Club, Coast Restaurant, The Flora-Bama, Coastal Alabama magazine, Bender Realty, and the City of Orange Beach to his current client list. He continues to contribute professional food images to the Safari Club at the New Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo and to Foley Sports Tourism. Courtland's outstanding eye for detail contributes to his success in perfecting his techniques of photographing architecture, food, and people ( Oh! and everything in between! ). Courtland continues his journey of experimentation with photographic processes through his project called "A New Vibration". His photographic art prints have been shown at Optera Creative in Mobile and are on display at the Coastal Art Center of Orange Beach, AL as a major part of their permanent collection. Mr. Richards was honored to be appointed as a member of the OCEAN ARTISTS SOCIETY ( http://oceanartistssociety.org/ )