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Paul Shatz was born in 1963 in the Hudson Valley of New York State. He was influenced in his youth by the beautiful countryside of the Hudson Highlands and the intense culture of New York City. After attending a state university in the Adirondacks, Paul followed his dreams of heading to the American west.
In the fall of 1986 he packed up his car and ventured west on a trip that ultimately changed his life. Six weeks and over 1,000 photographs later, he landed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The next 16 years were spent enjoying the Lake Tahoe basin. When not earning a living as a craps dealer in a casino, he spent his time photographing the natural landscape, skiing, mountain biking and hiking. The mountains became a source of recreation and inspiration. In addition to the casino, Paul began another career in teaching. For 3 years Paul was on the faculty at Lake Tahoe Community College as a photography instructor. In 2002 Paul decided to make a major change in his life. He left the world of big mountains, deep lakes and noisy crap tables to pursue a full time career in photography. After selling his home and buying an RV, he and his faithful dog "Jed" hit the road. In the next 9 months Paul visited 40 states. Everywhere he went he saw beauty in the natural landscape. One particular day during his journey would prove to be pivotal. This was an afternoon spent at an open house event in the gallery of Clyde Butcher. Here, on the gulf coast of Florida, was a man continuing the important legacy of artists such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Eliot Porter. His incredible talent and dedication to conservation and preservation is extremely inspirational.
It was at this time Paul remembered some advice his father had given him many years earlier. If you want to learn how to do something well, go to work for someone who is successful at it. Several months and a phone call later, he was the darkroom assistant for Butcher. From the summer of 2004 to the summer of 2005, Paul assisted Butcher in many facets of his operations. By the end of his tenure, Paul had learned the fine art of hand crafting a silver photograph. Like few other photographers, he created images as large as 5x9 feet! This mentoring by one of America’s great photographers has given Paul the skill and inspiration to continue the legacy of capturing the magnificence of Earth’s natural world. Paul Shatz now resides in South Carolina where he is focusing his efforts to preserve and protect the wildness of our natural places.
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