Shooting to thrill

He moves smoothly through the crowd, stopping to take a photo, then moving on to what he determines will be the next good shot.

He is seen all around Marco, voluntarily photographing for charitable or civic organizations.

He also has done a classy photo book of the island's beauty.

Many don't realize he is Joel Gewirtz, a certified public accountant who loves photography.

"I've never entered a contest, and (I'm) not interested in selling prints," Gewirtz said. "I have a God-given ability to see beauty and the camera captures it. My book gave me a chance to share my photos."

His 116-photo coffee-table book, Marco Island: Our Home, Our Paradise, was self-published in 2002. It has sold 2,000 copies and is featured in many homes. It has been a favorite gift for Islanders, part- time residents and visitors.

Gewirtz admits to not being a social person before he came to Marco. A graduate of New York University with a bachelor's degree in accounting, Gewirtz shied away from public activities.

"I was in a big city. It was different," he said. "I never volunteered."

His first look at Marco was in 1982 when he came to help a friend who was trying to put together a syndication, using condos on the beach for rentals. It didn't work out, but Gewirtz came back for other work in 1986. His family was in Marietta, Ga.

"I called (my wife) Judy, telling her, 'You know, this isn't bad,' " he said. "She said she wasn't coming down unless I hung out my shingle — and I did. The business has built up over the years."

Judy is his rock.

They met while working for General Foods, and married on Nov. 23, 1967.

"In order of no importance, I found her attractive and she had a lot of class," Gewirtz said. "After going out for a while, I realized that besides being one of the nicest people I ever met, she would be the greatest wife and mother. She is still the nicest person I ever met."

When the Gewirtz family moved to Marco, it included three young children: Jennifer, Storm and Matthew.

That's when the nonsocial Gewirtz changed.

"We had three kids and went to United Church of Marco Island, where there was a large youth group," Gewirtz recalled. "Next thing I knew, Judy had me working with 65 ecumenical kids making decorations."

Next he worked with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts because of his son, Matthew.

Photo by JASON EASTERLY, Marco Eagle

Certified public accountant Joel Gewirtz moves around Marco Island documenting activity with still pictures. Gewirtz's photographs can be found in books and calendars.

While volunteering, Gewirtz said, it was specifically for his kids. But in 1986 he got involved with the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce. Actually Judy did, as she volunteered to help with the Christmas parade. Her co-chair dropped out and she offered Joel.

Next for Gewirtz was the local unit of the American Cancer Society. He served on the board for 10 years.

In 1993 Joel Cox and others came to him to help form the Kiwanis Club of Marco Island.

"I asked him, 'What is a Kiwanis Club?' I became its first president," Gewirtz said. "I became a social person."

When the United States fought the Gulf War in the early 1990s, he, Judy, Pat Berry and Paula Camposano put American flags on the Judge S.S. Jolley Bridge.

Those friends led him to be more involved in the Chamber and the Marco Island Film Festival.

"The Film Festival probably started me taking photos," he said.

He was at nearly every event during the festival's seven years, walking around and taking photos. Then he shot Chamber events. In 2005, Judy served as Chamber president, making Joel the Chamber's unofficial photographer.

With Sandi Johnson and Bill Morris urging him, he helped establish the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts and serves on its board. He served on the selection committee to bring national and international artists to Marco Island for ArtQuest 2006, unveiling 15 sculptures around Marco Island on Jan. 26.

"A friend of more than 10 years said to me, 'The thing I like about you is you are always giving to the community,' " Gewirtz said.

When asked how he would like to be remembered, Gewirtz said, "I guess if someone was saying the last words over me, I would like it to be that I was a good guy."

But not anytime soon, the 67-year-old quipped: "I pick up my camera and I am alive."