Photographer Paul Atkinson presents a collection of images inspired by nightscapes and abandoned places. Visit his website to see more.
“Like Waves in the Wind” archival photographic pigment print, 13.5” x 20”
I always enjoyed art class as a child. But assuming an artist identity was not something I ever considered possible. So I pursued a career in civil engineering, as life’s odometer clicked off the years and decades.
“Crockpot” archival photographic pigment print, 15” x 10”
Then one year I was sent out of state for technical training. At the conclusion of the class, I drove with my camera to the nearest national park, seven hours away. I spent several nights photographing the Milky Way arching over the landscape. It was an amazing experience, and one that I made sure to repeat somewhere every year after that. And so when I retired several years later, I knew what I wanted to do.
“Walls IV” archival photographic pigment print, 10” x 15”
I am a landscape photographer specializing in infrared and night sky photography. I use custom-modified digital cameras that can see beyond the limits of human visual perception. It really is a team effort, between me and my camera.
“Deflated,” archival photographic pigment print, 15” x 10”
I can’t just shoot what I see, and expect to get what I see, because the camera doesn’t see it the same way. And that is the magic. I love exploring how I can use the camera to see the world around me in ways that I can’t.
“Stone House and Foundations” archival photographic pigment print, 10” x 15”
Shortly before the pandemic, I had had a spare camera converted to see near-infrared light. When things shut down a few months later, that camera gave me a new way to see the new world that we were now in. I discovered I really enjoyed coloring outside the lines.
“Mystic Cave” archival photographic pigment print, 19.5” x 13”
I’ve been asked where I find my inspiration. The truth is, my camera inspires me. Because I’m including light that I can’t see, and lenses that don’t focus the way my eye does, it really is a creative partnership. If I say “here’s what I’m thinking,” the camera replies “that gives me an idea — how about like this?” It’s a visual encouragement that really pushes my creativity further.
“Slats” archival photographic pigment print, 10”x15”
My art isn’t made in a crowd. I seek out places of solitude, like wide-open unpeopled landscapes. I also find fascination in exploring abandoned places like ghost towns. There is something compelling about these places, slowly collapsing back into the earth.
“Baby and Chair” archival photographic pigment print, 10” x 15”
It’s like witnessing the erasure of our own past, of our own memory. Maybe that’s why I am drawn to making art from the things I find left behind. Perhaps it’s a way not to forget.
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