Bob Lampert
Bob Lampert is an American photographer who also works with film, digital or video cameras. Lampert first started winning awards for his photography as a young San Diego teenager when he won a prized Kodak photographic award. His passion for photography led him to a photographic career which has spanned over 50 years. Lampert's still photography has been published in Time and Life magazines, as well as California and Washington newspapers
Background
Lampert started his career as a newspaper photographer (1957), later taking a job as Chief Photographer for California Western University (1961). He was later hired as a photojournalist for KOGO in 1963 which became KGTV, the ABC affiliate television station in San Diego.
During his 38 years at KGTV, Lampert covered a variety of assignments; his favorite involved law enforcement. Indeed, the media has expressed concerns that his relationship with the police is too intimate and too chummy. Los Angeles Times A well known fixture to local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, his ability to learn about highly sensitive undercover operations then stay out of law enforcement’s way while still getting video footage of the story was remarkable. His sensitivity to not identifying undercover agents made for a positive relationship.
In 1963 he became a San Diego Police Reserve Officer and served until 1972. During those years, Lampert received numerous commendations from the department, including the Moral Fiber Award from Kiwanis for assisting in Saving the life of a courtroom watcher, when he put down his camera and helped apply artificial resuscitation reviving a comatose male. He was also involved with two shooting incidents, in one of which he shot a rifle-wielding suspect in Mountain View Park while other officers were under fire. The first shooting took place May 10, 1965 at Mission Beach when Lampert and his partner attempted to contact the driver of a stolen car.
A frequent San Diego Police Academy guest speaker on news/police relations, Lampert also gave lessons to law enforcement regarding camera equipment capabilities and lighting techniques during undercover operations. Upon retiring, Lampert received awards from the FBI and United States Marshal’s Service. The County of San Diego, California further honored him by proclaiming March 9, 2001, the day of his retirement, Bob Lampert Day. On May 15, 2008, the San Diego Police Historical Association presented Lampert with the Legends Behind the Badge Jose A. Cota Award.
Lampert continues to share with his community his knowledge of photography, and is the contributing photographer for author Aaron Elkins and Charlotte Elkins author of the novels about a fictional golfer, Lee Ofsted. Lampert is also a member of the National Press Photographers Association and the Leica Historical Society of America.
He was one of two photographers who contributed to The Hub Shootout: San Diego's Unbelievable Four-hour Firefight, which documented the events and sequelae of San Diego's longest (at the time, four hours) armed seige/shootout at the Hub Loans & Jewelry Company. A newspaper editor died of a heart attack. Over a thousand rounds were exchanged betweend the shooter and a SWAT team. The "murder case would eventually make California judicial history and keep Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan from the gas chamber." See People v. Anderson.
Bob Lampert is married to Alicia (Daly) Lampert, the first uniformed female police officer for the San Diego Police department to work a patrol car alone in the field.
Published works
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Background
Lampert started his career as a newspaper photographer (1957), later taking a job as Chief Photographer for California Western University (1961). He was later hired as a photojournalist for KOGO in 1963 which became KGTV, the ABC affiliate television station in San Diego.
During his 38 years at KGTV, Lampert covered a variety of assignments; his favorite involved law enforcement. Indeed, the media has expressed concerns that his relationship with the police is too intimate and too chummy. Los Angeles Times A well known fixture to local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, his ability to learn about highly sensitive undercover operations then stay out of law enforcement’s way while still getting video footage of the story was remarkable. His sensitivity to not identifying undercover agents made for a positive relationship.
In 1963 he became a San Diego Police Reserve Officer and served until 1972. During those years, Lampert received numerous commendations from the department, including the Moral Fiber Award from Kiwanis for assisting in Saving the life of a courtroom watcher, when he put down his camera and helped apply artificial resuscitation reviving a comatose male. He was also involved with two shooting incidents, in one of which he shot a rifle-wielding suspect in Mountain View Park while other officers were under fire. The first shooting took place May 10, 1965 at Mission Beach when Lampert and his partner attempted to contact the driver of a stolen car.
A frequent San Diego Police Academy guest speaker on news/police relations, Lampert also gave lessons to law enforcement regarding camera equipment capabilities and lighting techniques during undercover operations. Upon retiring, Lampert received awards from the FBI and United States Marshal’s Service. The County of San Diego, California further honored him by proclaiming March 9, 2001, the day of his retirement, Bob Lampert Day. On May 15, 2008, the San Diego Police Historical Association presented Lampert with the Legends Behind the Badge Jose A. Cota Award.
Lampert continues to share with his community his knowledge of photography, and is the contributing photographer for author Aaron Elkins and Charlotte Elkins author of the novels about a fictional golfer, Lee Ofsted. Lampert is also a member of the National Press Photographers Association and the Leica Historical Society of America.
He was one of two photographers who contributed to The Hub Shootout: San Diego's Unbelievable Four-hour Firefight, which documented the events and sequelae of San Diego's longest (at the time, four hours) armed seige/shootout at the Hub Loans & Jewelry Company. A newspaper editor died of a heart attack. Over a thousand rounds were exchanged betweend the shooter and a SWAT team. The "murder case would eventually make California judicial history and keep Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan from the gas chamber." See People v. Anderson.
Bob Lampert is married to Alicia (Daly) Lampert, the first uniformed female police officer for the San Diego Police department to work a patrol car alone in the field.
Published works
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