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Tampa-born photographer found success away from the crowd

Photo by Rob Hudson

Chris Livingston captured images from such major news events as Hurricane Katrina and the Duke University lacrosse team scandal.

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By TODD LESKANIC | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 11, 2009

Updated: 11/12/2009 01:47 pm

A philosophy of "Run away from where the crowd is" wouldn't work in most businesses.

It brought Tampa-born photographer Chris Livingston great success.

Livingston's eye for the unique, coupled with his personal charm, made him a highly-sought and much-respected freelance shooter. His photographs landed in the pages of the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated.

"He liked to set himself apart from the pack," said photographer Gary Bogdon. "He would go out on assignments and there might be 50 or 100 other photographers there. He wanted to think out of the box a little bit and try to come up with something different. He was really good at that."

Livingston put it this way on his Web site: "I never liked the idea of following the pack. What's the point if it all looks the same?"

Livingston, 36, died Monday near his Orlando home when a car struck his bicycle. Friends and relatives said he was on a 20-mile ride in preparation for a triathlon.

In the weeks before his death, Livingston had covered a shooting in an Orlando office building for the New York Times and the dust-up over college basketball player Marcus Jordan's choice of sneakers for USA Today. On Sunday, he shot college basketball at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

In years prior, Livingston captured images of such major news events as Hurricane Katrina and the Duke University lacrosse team scandal, to name a couple. He also spent several years as a contract photographer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"He had zero problem approaching people to get their story," said longtime friend and photographer Rob Hudson. "Once he got their story, he would use it to make a better image. He wanted to tell a story, that was his thing."

Hudson and Livingston met as students at King High School in Tampa. It was while in high school that Livingston's father gave him his first camera and he began shooting pictures for the school yearbook.

He graduated from King in 1991 and went on to the University of South Florida, where he majored in mass communications and was a photographer for the school newspaper. After graduation, Livingston spent time working for the Leesburg Daily Commercial and two smaller papers in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

He returned to Florida and settled in Orlando with his wife, Catherine. Livingston continued to build his freelance business. His mother, Marilyn, said today that she didn't realize how successful her son was even though the two shared an extraordinarily close relationship.

She said her son's Facebook page has been inundated with posts since his death.

Livingston wasn't all about work. He loved U2 and saw the band in concert dozens of times all over the country. He was also a diehard USF fan and a devoted father to his son, Benjamin.

Benjamin turned 2 the day after his father's death.

Livingston is also survived by his father, Ed, of Tampa.

A viewing will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Woodlawn Memorial Park, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Pauls Presbyterian Church, 1450 Citrus Oaks Ave., Gotha.

Gotha is in Orange County.

In lieu of flowers, Livingston's family is requesting donations for Benjamin's education. Donations can be sent to: Catherine Livingston, P.O Box 1026, Ocoee, FL 34761.

Reporter Todd Leskanic can be reached at (813) 731-8098.

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