John Pezzenti, Jr. (June 12, 1952 – December 3, 2007) was an American

wildlife photographer Wildlife photography is a genre of photography concerned with documenting various forms of wildlife in their natural habitat. As well as requiring photography skills, wildlife photographers may need field craft skills. For example, some anima ...

born in

Newington, Connecticut Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Located south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,536. The Connectic ...

, but who spent much of his life taking pictures of wildlife in the

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

n wilderness.

Background

He moved to Alaska in 1976, working on the Alaskan pipeline and owning and running a lodge at

Kenai Lake Kenai Lake ( Dena'ina: ''Sqilan Bena'') is a large, "zig-zag" shaped lake on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. The lake forms the headwaters of the Kenai River, and is itself a destination for fishing and other outdoor activity. The Dena'ina call th ...

during the 1970s. Pezzenti then began working as an independent wildlife photographer and published three photography books during his life. Some of his photos hung in the Oval Office during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. He had his photos published in many different magazines, including '' National Geographic'', '' Alaska Magazine'', ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

'', and '' Natural History''. He also spoke at events at the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

and the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Death

He was found by police shot to death at his home in Anchorage, Alaska on December 3, 2007. Police have not yet determined a clear motive or found a solid suspect. The story of his murder has been aired as a featured segment on the weekly television series '' America's Most Wanted'' twice (as well as once on an ''AMW'' radio segment).

Works

Pezzenti published three books of his photography. ;''Alaska: A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness'' :, November 1, 2007, Studio Publishing ;''The American Eagle'' :, September 1, 1999, Studio Publishing ;''Shooting Bears: The Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer'' :, September 20, 2003, Rizzoli International Publications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pezzenti, John 1952 births 2007 deaths 20th-century American photographers American murder victims Artists from Alaska Artists from Connecticut Deaths by firearm in Alaska Nature photographers People from Newington, Connecticut People murdered in Alaska Unsolved murders in the United States

Background

Death

See also

Works

References