Former Villager Displaying Smithsonian-Approved Photos in Ridgewood

Professional photographer John Reiter is bringing his artwork–some of which has been displayed at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC–to venues much closer to home.

Reiter’s , opened Monday, May 2, at The Stable Gallery in Ridgewood, and another exhibit,  opens at the new Tangerines Art Gallery in Ridgewood Tuesday.

Reiter, whose work focuses on wildlife and the natural environment, travels everywhere from Africa and India, to his backyard in Mahwah, to capture shots of images he finds inspiring.

“I like to think that my photographs allow people to see something different,” Reiter,  Mahwah resident who prints his photographs on canvas, said.

“The pictures I take in Mahwah are mostly of flowers, but I try to take them in unique ways,” he said.

“But, I have also moved on to more adventurous photography trips.”

Reiter, who recently came back home after his third trip to Africa and three weeks in India, said many of his internationally-captured photographs will be showcased in the galleries.

Reiter was the 2009 Grand Prize Winner and Wildlife Category Winner of the Windland Smith Rice International Awards, which showcased two of his photographs in the Smithsonian Institute.

“The grand prize winner was a photo of a Mountain Gorilla,” an endangered species that “isn’t the kind of gorilla you see at the Bronx Zoo.”

“Their DNA is so similar to ours, but it isn’t until you get up close and really see them that you are actually able to understand that,” Reiter explained.

The Wildlife category winning picture was a “lion killing a zebra. They are both airborne in the shot.”

While his award-winning photos are both from overseas, the two exhibits in Ridgewood will mix these photos with ones that hit closer to home for Reiter. 

“I grew up in Ridgewood, lived there for 23 years. But, my parents used to own an apple orchard in Mahwah that we used to spend weekends at when I was younger to farm the land,” Reiter said.

“I guess I got used to it, because I bought a house up on Cragmere and I’ve lived in Mahwah for 35 years.”

Reiter, who worked for 31 years in the marketing department of Auto Data Processing (ADP), is enjoying his retirement as a full-time photographer.

“I get to travel to capture the shots that I want, and I also spread my love of photography by teaching PhotoShop and basic photography skills,” he said.

Reiter’s work will be on display at:

1. The Stable Gallery 259 N Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. throughout the month of May. Call (201)670-5560 for more information.
2. The new Tangerines Art Gallery, 86 N Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays in May. A reception will be held Friday, May 13 from 6 – 9 p.m. Call  (201)857-4624 for info.