Paul Foley

‘I create photographs to be lived with—images that can hang on a wall and offer a lifetime of enjoyment. While I often respond to single experiences of light, I am continually drawn back to the ‘scapes—land, sea, cloud, and body—for enduring inspiration.

I think of my practice as ‘finding pictures,’ a process shaped by curiosity, by an interest in both landscape and the human condition, and by a constant search for the light that reveals them.’

Paul’s fine art and landscape wall prints are collected across the USA, UK, Europe, and Asia.

Since retiring from a 35-year career in commercial photography Paul is free to explore the fleeting nature of light, free from the constraints of briefs and corporate mood boards.

His passion for making pictures, spanning over 50 years, continues to flourish. Describing himself as a generalist photographer, he works on diverse projects and themes that captivate and intrigue him. Some projects are ongoing, while others are more spontaneous, as he applies his traditional skills to the digital and phone camera domains. His fine art photographic prints can be colour, black and white, or toned, with the light and the story they convey determining the process.

In 2006, Paul almost permanently lost hi...

Exhibitions, reviews, achievements.

‘You capture the soulfulness of a chaotic nature, full of energy and hauntingly dangerous beauty.’
Lens Culture

Lens Culture Portfolio Reviews

On the Liquidity of Light Series: “These photographs are a total visual delight. To me, they defy the sense that light and colour are reflected off the surface of the photograph; instead, they feel like light and colour are emanating from the image (of course, when I view this on a monitor, it IS emanating, but the way you have processed the colour gives me the sense the print would have this emanating effect too).”

On the ‘Wonderful Chaos’ Series: ‘The images are mysterious, a bit haunting and very multi-layered. They express motion, movement and yet stillness in one frame. The palette is really interesting. One feels immersed in the water. These images could be printed huge, and one would feel as if one were in the water, ready to be engulfed.”

On the ‘Horizon’ Series: ‘They are beautiful landscapes, in the great tradition of fine art photography.’

Exhibitions

2024 – Seascape Exhibition — The Glasgow Gallery of Photography

2024 – Clouds3 — Newcastle Art Space, Newcastle

2024 - Time|Space|Light Group Exhibition, Back to Back Galleries, Newcas...