CHELSEA - Frederick 'Fred' Richards, 70, of Hallowell Road died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008, at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. He was born in Newton, Mass., on Aug. 14, 1937, the son of Langdon and Beatrice (O'Leary) Richards. Fred attended Cony High School. He later joined the Navy and retired after 20 years of service. He served on the USS Perry, USS Hornet and the USS Puget Sound. After his retirement from the Navy, Fred worked in the kitchen at the Veterans Hospital at Togus and also at Bernards Foodland. Fred had a great love for the art of photography and he wanted to share it with as many people as he could. In order to do this, Fred established the Capital Area Camera Club in 1990 as a forum where local photographers, whether amateurs or professionals, could gather and learn about photography by sharing photographic techniques, having discussions and viewing each others' work. Fred served as the club's president for several years and continued to be a member of the club until his passing. During those many years, he freely shared both his knowledge and his love of photography with the members, and his encouragement and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated. Fred was a great photographer who was on a continual quest for knowledge. He loved trying new approaches in his work and was never one to be bound by rules when it came to his photography. He studied with a number of internationally acclaimed photographers, most notably Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant, whom he greatly admired. Freeman once said, 'The camera sees both ways.' This is very evident when you look at Fred's photographs, as each image shows you the world through Fred's eyes. Fred left a large and wonderful body of work for us to enjoy, and through that work, Fred will always be with us. He is survived by his wife, Diana Richards, of Chelsea; a son, Kurt Richards, of Augusta; three daughters, Kandi Waits, of Augusta, Kelly Richards, of Gardiner and Kim Church and her husband, Jeff, of Farmingdale; two brothers, Langdon Richards Jr., of China Village, and John Richards, of North Whitefield; a sister, Judith Blethen and her husband, Harold, of East Dennis, Mass.; and nine grandchildren, Haven, Kove, Liam, Clay, Matthew, Benjamin, Emily, Laura and special granddaughter Jessica. He also is survived by a brother-in-law, Charles Poulin and his wife, Mary Jane, of Waterville; his father-in-law, Alfred Poulin, of Winslow; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Fred also will be sadly missed by his beloved dog, Tara, and all his friends at Dunkin' Donuts. There will be no visiting hours. A memorial celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 1 Church St., Augusta. Burial will follow in the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Mount Vernon Road, Augusta. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, 10 Pet Haven Lane, Augusta, ME 04330. www.khrfuneralhomes.com