Master Photographer and Painter, Darrell Chitty, has a portfolio and resume most artists envy. Now, he is adding another impressive and exciting event to his timeline. On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, he will open his very own, Darrell Chitty Art & Design Fine Art Gallery and Studio. 

Darrell acquired the former studio belonging to the late Dick Goodall, located on Ellerbe Road to feature his gallery of art and serve his extremely busy portrait art/photography business.

A Houma native, Darrell grew up in the oil transportation business, owning shipyards with his father.  He migrated to the Shreveport-Bossier area around 1980 looking for new challenges in a new occupation.  He took on the business of school photography soon after arriving and worked in that market under the instruction and employ of others until he opened his first studio, Heritage Portraits at the beginning of the 90′s.

Over the years, he continued to evolve with the changing times and trends in photography always striving to perfection to make each style his own. “I feel we are at a new frontier,” Chitty says, “in the merging of photography and painting.”

Finally, as his market started narrowing due to the consumer photographer, (those who can go out to Best Buy and buy a digital SLR camera), and the competitors that were undercutting his prices. He found he had to not only be the best portrait photographer, but he needed a definitive edge that by far surpassed his competitors. At that point, Chitty sought after instruction and knowledge to merge his two loves, photography and painting.

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Darrell Citty, Darrell Chitty Art and Design

Rangefinder magazine once described Darrell as “The New Old Master”.  Having over 30 years in the portrait business, he has evolved into a 21st Century artist who embraces the techniques of the Master Painters like Monet, Degas, Renoir, and John Singer Sargent. He uses state of the art technology and equipment.  Coupled with his skills and vision, he turns his elegant portraits and scenery into masterpieces.

“I call my style expressive realism, expressive being the setting, the textures and the clothes, but I’ll maintain that realness in the areas that I think have the most impact,” said Chitty in a blog posted on his website. That style he is referring to is one where the background has an impressionistic style with a photo-realistic subject.

On top of his personal business, he conducts seminars, webinars, and workshops all over America educating upcoming artists. He has dedicated himself to educating those who have a passion to create art and take on the ever-changing photography business by leading them into new perspectives. He is currently the Fine Art Photography instructor at Bossier Parish Community College where he teaches most of the curriculum.

With his Master’s in Business Administration, he knows the ins and outs of the business world. He can build dreams that become reality, and he has certainly done so. “It is time we provided a product and a USP (unique selling proposition) that cannot be duplicated by anyone else – our very own fingerprint, our own special song. Who knows, perhaps another Karsh, Adams or Weston will emerge from the experiment.” In Chitty’s case, a modern-day Impressionistic painter to rival the great Masters themselves.

As a former student of Darrell Chitty, I am indebted to this Master for all the knowledge and support he has provided me in my educational journey, my creative endeavors and my own personal evolution. He is truly an inspiration and a mentor.

Chitty was twice named Louisiana Portrait Photographer of the Year, holds both an MBA and a Masters of Photography degree. His masterpiece art can be found in the homes and businesses of admirers and patrons around the world. His studio is located at 9105 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport, LA. You can click here to peruse his works.

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