Paul Wakefield

Paul Wakefield was born and raised in Hong Kong and has lived in England for many years. His work has been shown at many galleries and museums since 1984 and has won many international awards. Throughout his career as a commercial photographer, he has always followed his calling to slow down, take time and gently observe and inhale landscape, using traditional colour negative film in his 4×5 inch Ebony camera. “Look more, shoot less.”

“Every landscape has its own footprint, and that’s what I’m looking for, not by imposing my will onto it, but allowing it to speak for itself.” Paul’s use of minimal colour palettes and whispering, soft light makes his images tactile; you want to touch them. They may contain complex scenes with multiple elements, but they are so well organized, that they radiate a unique visual elegance and express eloquently to the viewer patterns and juxtapositions that are not apparent at first sight, an atmosphere of mystery.

All areas in Paul’s images are equally important. Optical democracy in landscape. Mostly flat light ensures that neither highlights nor shadows catch our immediate attention. There may be contrasts in his subject matter, but not in the light. The light just… is. Paul’s use of large format sheet film, long exposure times and small apertures mean that his images have an endless depth of field and the focal point is everywhere in the image.

There is clarity in Paul Wakefield’s scenery, stillness, and sharp observation. Some images may even seem monochrome, but there is plenty of colour, all in harmony. Calm beauty.