P A U L  M A H D E R    

Fine Art Photographer

Artistic Statement and Biography:

I have worked as a professional fine art photographer for over 12 years. Most of my photographs are created by superimposing 4-inch by 5-inch photo negatives and slides of natural textures with images of dancers in motion and at rest. I work primarily with dancers, as I am fascinated with motion and the honesty of expression that comes while in motion. When photographing landscapes I sometimes combine several natural images into one single image.

My photographs are unaltered by digital computer methods or printing techniques. They are not computer art. I use special lighting techniques that result in textures that appear to wrap around the body rather than simply lying over it, creating a more natural look and feel - and because I also use strobe lighting, I can freeze the motion of a dancer in mid-air. These are real people and real textures, photographed and layered to create fine art photography.

I use a large photo format, 4" x 5" Wisner Technical Field Camera. It looks like the old-fashioned wooden cameras of the early 1900's. This camera delivers superior image quality resulting in photographs that can be enlarged to wall sized prints without a blurred or grainy look. All photographs are archival, museum prints and limited to editions of 15. Creativity:

Through my photography I have discovered that our bodies are tied to each other and to the natural world in a very intimate way. When we see ourselves as part of nature it is possible to connect creation and mortality into an experience of brilliant sensuality. The textures act as natural clothing, possibly a sense of how it is meant to be.each body.each texture with it's own story, waiting to be seen and heard.

There is a trust given by those who have honored my art by letting me photograph them. Similarly, photographing nature is a sacred act of discovery. These photographs represent shared moments of "truth telling" and the discovery of beauty.

Paul Mahder http://www.paulmahder.com