Pete Eckert

Enveloped in his world of blindness and flashes of light, Pete Eckert creates evocative, surreal images that leave Natasha Desai in awe.

- Natasha Desai

Pete Eckert describes himself simply, “I’m a visual person. I just can’t see.” After he graduated in sculpture and industrial design, Pete’s world was turned on its head. He was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease that would eventually leave him devoid of any sight. In effect, shattering his dreams at the time, of becoming an architect. “I struggled for two years with the emotion of it. It was very traumatic and crushing. I remember walking up and down the hallway saying, ‘I will not be beaten.’ And today, I’m not.” In the decades since, Pete has made incredible strides with his photography, acquiring clients like Swarovski, and Playboy. He and Bruce Hall became the first blind photographers to shoot for the publication. His image, Electroman was even made into a UN postage stamp.