American-Journal Magazine

Greg Latza completed “The Missouri: South Dakota’s River Legend” in 2002. It is the fourth in a series of seven South Dakota photo books that Latza and his wife, Jodi, have self-published.

The 176-page book features 118 of Latza’s photographs, documenting life along the Missouri River. It also includes stories about the people, land and water by Kevin Woster.

Latza, a freelance editorial and corporate photographer from Sioux Falls, S.D., said he got the idea for the book as the bicentennial anniversary of the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition approached.

“We did it chronologically, as if you were going down the river,” Latza said. “We knew the river pretty well, so we knew where to go to get really good photos.”

While he has published other books since “The Missouri,” Latza said it “remains one of my favorites.”

Latza said his seventh South Dakota photo book, which focuses on Sioux Falls, will be available by Christmas.

With the last book in the series complete, Latza said he plans to work on a couple larger projects – one documenting issues facing the family farm in South Dakota and the other exploring faith on the Great Plains.

Latza said he enjoys working on such projects because it allows him to be creative and tell stories that he thinks are important.

Corporate photography is “really boring and dull, but it pays the bills really well,” he said. These side projects “keep me going. That’s my way to stay fresh.”