Photographer Richard Sitler taking photographs at a Knightstown High School wrestling match. Photo by Kevin Richey
Richard Sitler and his family have been documenting Knightstown for years.
Grandmother Katherine had the “Party Line News” on radio station WCTW in the 1950s. Her husband, Robert, wrote for The Banner newspaper and, later, for The Courier-Times. Mary Ann Sitler, Richard’s mother, wrote a personals column for The Banner, and Richard published his first photos in The Banner while he was in high school.
Sitler is currently working as Knightstown’s Photographer IN Residence. His pictures can be found at ”Photographer IN Residence – Knightstown” on Facebook.
“As an award-winning photojournalist, I have dedicated my career to telling the stories of everyday people through powerful visual storytelling,” Sitler said. “Now, I am launching Photographers IN Residence, a program designed to place emerging documentary photographers in communities to capture the essence of daily life.”
“Knightstown is the perfect pilot community for this project. It is a town with a rich history and a vibrant spirit,” he said.
Sitler sees Photographers IN Residence as a way to fill the visual storytelling gap in local areas by providing photographers who can document events, create photo essays and showcase the unique qualities of each community. The images will be shared online, displayed in galleries and made available to local organizations, helping to promote and preserve the identity of these places,” he said.
Sitler is raising money through a GoFundMe campaign to officially launch Photographers IN Residence in other communities. His initial goal is $1,300. The fundraising campaign can be found at gofund.me/fff46c5b3.
“This initiative is about more than just photography; it’s about fostering community pride and creating a visual record for future generations,” Sitler said. “I invite you to join me in making this vision a reality. Together, we can shine a light on the stories that define our communities and support the next generation of visual storytellers.”
Sitler’s vision includes a statewide organization that would look for communities interested in inviting a photographer to document life in their community for a year. The community would help with housing and would help fund the person for that year with a stipend for living expenses. In turn, the photographer would photograph events in the community and complete photo stories and essays about subjects in the community that would visually tell the story of the community.
“Photographers IN Residence would recruit, train, and place the photographers,” he said. “Photographers IN Residence would help mentor and supervise the photographers, giving them guidance and support as they complete their residency.”
Having a local photographer in residence for a year could help small communities differentiate themselves from their neighbors, Sitler said. A visual storytelling collection could help those communities fight for more resources, promote themselves to regional and state officials, and attract new businesses and residents.
“Creating an ongoing visual documentary of the community can help people see what makes where they live a community,” Sitler said. “The work of a photographer in residence would create images that can serve several purposes both for the present and for the future.”
Sitler called the Photographers IN Residence program the culmination of his life’s experience and work.
“With your help, I will not only be able to continue my work, but expand on it by creating opportunities for emerging photographers and for other communities,” he said to donors.
© Copyright 2025, The Courier-Times, New Castle, IN.