Erich Schlegel is an award-winning freelance photographer in Austin, Texas.

Erich Schlegel is an award-winning freelance photographer in Austin, Texas. Erich was born in Monterrey, Mexico to American parents (US & Mexican citizen since birth) and grew up speaking English and Spanish in Mexico, Colombia and Panama. Erich received his BBA in International Business from SMU in Dallas, Texas. However, his passion for photography led him to a career in photojournalism, starting after college at The Brownsville Herald on the Texas/Mexico border, then the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Erich then worked at The Dallas Morning News from 1988 until 2008. While at the DMN, assignments ranged from daily features to covering multiple Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Super Bowls, conflicts around the world and stories in Latin America.

In 2008, Erich left The Dallas Morning News to pursue a successful freelance career. As a NAUI certified SCUBA diver, Erich has the ability to shoot amazing still and video images with DSLR cameras above, below, and around water.

Along with his underwater abilities, Erich has recently explored Texas caves including one with a 70-foot waterfall underground.

Clients include: National Geographic, The Nature Conservancy, Texas Highways Magazine, USA Today, Austin Opera, Grand Trunk Goods and many other publications and companies. 

Erich lives near Austin, Texas near his 17-year-old daughter Thira. Erich also enjoys marathon canoe racing, surfing, fresh and saltwater fishing, SCUBA diving, skiing and ice climbing.