Hendrik Paul is a black-and-white photographer from Mill Valley, California. He processes each roll of film by hand and prints in the traditional silver gelatin format, meticulously crafting each print to capture nature’s tranquil and meditative qualities. This hands-on approach is essential to his work, reflecting a deep connection to the process.

Paul received his BA in 2003 from Providence College and an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2009. He was a Fulbright finalist in 2009 and was nominated for the 2012 SECA Art Award with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). His exhibitions include Meditative Landscapes at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Depth of Perception at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and Landscape Other at Rayko in San Francisco. His works are held in the permanent collections of Providence College in Rhode Island and the San Francisco Public Utility Commission.

Paul's journey into photography was inspired by a pivotal moment in an ancient monastery in northern India, where he found clarity through the metaphor of ascending a dimly lit staircase. Despite the occasional call to adopt modern digital techniques, Paul remains deeply committed to historical photographic processes. As he watches an image emerge under amber light in a tray of developer, he finds certainty in his path.

Paul recently completed Dark Light, his second book project with Datz Press in South Korea. He continues to work from his studio darkroom in Mill Valley.

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EDUCATION

2009 San Francisco Art Institute, MFA, Photography

2007 San Francisco Art Institute, Post Baccalaureate, Photography

2003 Providence College, Studio Art with an emphasis in photography

SOLO EXHIBITION

2013 LIGHT FROM WITHIN The Image Flow, Mill Valley, CA

2012 MEDITATIVE LANDSCAPES San Francisco International Airport 


GROUP EXHIBITION

2024 IN FLUX: RECALIBRATING THE UNKNOWN The Museum of Northern

  California Art, CA

2016 NORTH VALLEY ART LEAGUE Carter House Gallery, Redding, CA

2014 THE PERIMETER OF THE WORLD Rayko, San Francisco, CA

  NORTH VALLEY ART LEAGUE Carter House Gallery, Redding, CA

2012 GROUP EXHIBITION Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, CA

2011 GROUP EXHIBITION Smith Anderson North, San Anselmo, CA

2010 GROUP EXHIBITION Smith Anderson North, San Anselmo, CA

2009 EMERGING (i) 4 Freestyle Photography, Traveling Show, USA

  NATIONAL EXHIBITION Marin MOCA, Novato California

  GROUP EXHIBITION Evergold, San Francisco, California

  PACIFIC SUN PHOTO CONTEST San Rafael, California

  JURIED EXHIBITION Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, California

2008 EMERGING (i) 3 Freestyle Photography, Traveling Show, USA

  ART IN THE REDWOODS Gualala, California

  LANDSCAPE OTHER Rayko, San Francisco, California

  JURIED EXHIBITION Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, California

2007 35 YEARS OF RICHARD ELKINGTON Reilly Gallery Providence RI

  SFAI NOW Red Ink Studios, San Francisco, California

  ART IN THE REDWOODS Gualala, California

  EQ3 PRESENTS EQ3, San Francisco, California

  EMERGING (i) 2 Freestyle Photography, Traveling Show, USA

  NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION Art League California

  JURIED EXHIBITION Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, California

2006 NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION Marin Art and Garden, Ross, CA

  EBB AND FLOW Sausalito Bay Model, Sausalito, California

2003 POETIC LIGHT Hunt Cavinah Gallery, Providence, Rhode Island


PUBLICATIONS

2024 Dark Light, Book Publication, Datz Press 2024

2018 Elementum, Book Publication, Datz Press 2018

2017 Tilling The Past, Book Publication, Super Classy Publishing 2017

2014 B&W Magazine Single Image, Issue 101, February 2014

2009 Azamara Cruise Line, Brochure - Current

Eleven Eleven, Issue 7, pages 148-151

Discover Magazine, April 2009, pages 60-64

2008 Sacred Profane Book Publication, Edition One Studios

Ladakh Book Publication, Edition One Studios 2008

Another Country, Equal Access, RAH Publication 2008 

Monthly Photographer Vol. 482, March 2008, Korea, Silence, pages 164-169

2007 Sacred Profane Book Publication, Edition One Studios 2007

Creative Quarterly Issue 10, Merit Award

American PHOTO on Campus March 2007, Student Portfolio Showcase, pages 14 – 15


AWARDS

2016 Honorable Mention, NVAL International Juried Show, Redding, CA

2014 People’s Choice Award, B&W Magazine, February 2014

  3rd Place, NVAL International Juried Show, Redding, CA

2012 Overall Best of Show Photograph, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA

2011 Best of Show Monochrome Print, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA

2010 2nd Place, Marin Images, San Rafael, California

2009 2nd Place, Paul Sack Building Award

  2nd Place, Marin Images, San Rafael, California

Honorable Mention, Marin MOCA, Novato California

2008 Two Judges Awards, Art In The Redwoods, National Juried Show 

3rd Place, Paul Sack Building Award

Anne Bremer Memorial Artists Book Award

Merit Award, Creative Quarterly 

2007 3rd Place, Art In The Redwoods, National Juried Show

Honorable Mention, Art League Northern CA, National Juried Show

2006 Honorable Mention, Sausalito Arts Commission, Ebb and Flow


WORK AFFILIATIONS

2013 - present Teacher at The Image Flow

2015 - 2016 Assistant and printer for Tabitha Soren

2009 Teacher Assistant for Henry Wessel, Spring Semester 

2008 Teacher Assistant for Linda Connor, Fall Semester 

Smith Anderson North Gallery: Work in the gallery and frame shop.

Volunteer for the non-profit PhotoAlliance. Monthly lectures and workshops.

Work as a printer: Private clients. Traditional Silver Gelatin processing and printing.

Work as a framer: Private clients.


LECTURES

2024 Marin Academy, Advanced Photography Class Lecture: Photography and my work process.

2014 Miraval Resort and Spa, Artist in Residence. Three Day Workshop

2012 San Francisco Art Institute, Noontime Lecture Series: Photography and the years following my MFA.

NOMINATIONS

2012 Nominated as a candidate for the 2012 SECA Art Award organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

2009 Fulbright Finalist: Austria – Tilling my Past


PRESS

2012 Access Institute, Spectrum 2012, October 2012

Marin Independent Journal, Mill Valley photographer Hendrik Paul tries to capture life’s quiet moments, Vicki Larson, October 2012

San Mateo County Times, Visual and Literary Arts, September 2012

San Francisco International Airport, Meditative Landscapes, Ramekon O’Arwisters, August 2012

2009 Rayko, Lightning, Lava and Bombs, Press Release, September 2009