Paul feels incredibly fortunate to call himself a professional photographer. His work has given him lasting friendships, meaningful experiences, and the chance to witness people at some of the most important moments in their lives. When someone trusts him to document their story, he approaches it with sincerity, aiming to create honest, high-quality images that reflect who they truly are. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Mississippi in 2010, Paul began his career in photography and graphic design. His early years working with magazines across north Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, taught him the value of collaboration and the importance of storytelling through imagery. Since 2016, Paul has worked full time as a freelance photographer specializing in documentary-style weddings, portraits, commercial, and editorial work. His photography has been featured in magazines and galleries throughout the South and even exhibited at The Louvre in Paris.
“Growing up in Mississippi and spending summers in south Louisiana greatly shaped how I view the world. The empathy, passion and knowledge experienced while working with people from all backgrounds has molded how I approach every opportunity.”
• ArtFields • Lake City, SC, 2018, "Beginning"
• ArtFields • Lake City, SC, 2017, "Return"
• ArtFields • Lake City, SC, 2016, "What the Kudzu Hides"
• UM Department of Art Faculty Show • Southside Art Gallery, Oxford, MS, 2016.
• Solo show: “@Night”, Bry Art Gallery, University of Louisiana Monroe, 2016
• Fifth Annual Exposure Award • Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, 2015. “Fend Off the Night” was displayed as part of a digital display at the Louvre celebrating The Exposure Award on July 13th, 2015.
• New Faculty/Staff Exhibition, Gallery 130, Oxford, MS, 2015.
• ArtFields • Lake City, SC, 2015, "Fend Off the Night"
Exhibitions:
@night is a series that explores the hidden places that are unknowingly passed everyday. I’ve been traveling the same roads for nearly a decade and only for the past few years have I actually stopped to see what lies just beyond the roadsides. There are breathtaking scenes resting just a small hike away from our city lights.
I’m a night owl and the darkness brings a strange sense of comfort and, at the same time, uneasiness. It provides a curtain to hide behind. You can be close and yet not seen. During the day, these places give off a comforting feeling, but once the night approaches it all begins to change. Everything around comes to life. It’s as if you’re surrounded by one giant breathing organism. There is an odd feeling when standing in the darkness alone, waiting for your eyes to adjust and reacting to every little noise that your heightened senses detect. Your heart beats a little faster when you hear a rustle in the distance...
By photographing after the sunlight has faded, I’m able to transform these places into something surreal. The location becomes a stage and a canvas by which I paint with light. Each image then becomes a theatrical performance that is planned and performed until the final image is achieved.
