Fritz Hoffmann

Fritz Hoffmann’s storied career in photojournalism has unfolded in the pages of renowned publications such as TIME, FORTUNE, and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. He focuses on society, culture, and global economics. He is notably recognized for his decades-long photography of China.

Originally from Seattle, Fritz left before the grunge music movement went mainstream. While working at the Charleston Gazette, he developed an ear for the sounds of music from the mountains of Appalachia. Based in Nashville in the early 1990s, as an associate of J.B. Pictures in New York, he established himself by documenting the traditions and trends of the American South while drawing inspiration from various musical artists he photographed, be that outsider Hasil Adkins’ road trip to Chicago, icon Steve Earle at the Bluebird Café or legend George Jones at Owen Bradley’s Barn. When Producer Brian Ahern sought to document George Jones’ Bradley Barn Sessions, he called on Fritz.

In 1995, Fritz moved to Shanghai to document the transformative period of reform and opening in the People's Republic of China. He studied Mandarin at Shanghai University. He established the China Bureau of Network Photographers (UK). He became the first Western photographer since 1949, with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accreditation, to be permitted to live long-term in Shanghai. He began photographing for National Geographic in 2005. Shanghai remained his base until 2008, when he relocated to Guanajuato, Mexico, continuing to make frequent trips
back to China.

Today, Fritz lives in New England, where he and his wife, Kathya Landeros, have restored his family’s 300-year-old house. His path now follows the journey of their young daughter, Arden.