FEATURED ARTIST: Mark Paulda
“The lens reveals the soul of the world,” is an incredibly beautiful maxim to ponder for anyone who loves to capture moments with a camera – and the philosophy of the latest extraordinary photographer to join Artcast’s Featured Artist community. Meet Mark Paulda: award-winning American photographer, best-selling author and Grammy award nominee.
“I’ve been taking photos for as long as I remember. I’ve always had a camera though I began taking photographs professionally in 2005,” says Paulda who is living proof that following your deepest passion can not only be personally fulfilling, but also lead you to your professional calling in life. This passion paired with an adventurous childhood filled with family trips around the world and his formative years spent growing up in Libya surrounded by foreign cultures is what ultimately sparked his curiosity for exploring the world through the lenses of his camera.
Striving to capture life in a single frame has led him to nearly every corner of it– from the lush greenery of Asia and the most picturesque cities of Europe to the magnificent wild landscapes of the Americas and beautifully barren deserts of Africa. Once you start exploring Paulda’s work, you will be enchanted with the artistic contrasts his photography reflects. The roughness of the fascinating High Atlas Mountains of Morocco will thrill you as will the silky dunes of the Sahara Desert and the silent strength of Iguazu Falls.
Paulda likes to say his real-life education never ends and continues in diverse cultures around the world. Throughout his journeys, this “gentleman wayfarer” has learned some of the greatest life lessons from different communities and the kind people he would meet while traveling. As a way to pay his gratitude forward for these valuable experiences, he has launched some projects to give back to some of these communities. Through educational programs he designed, Paulda has taught locals from Bhutan to Bali the art of photography which has helped them earn extra income while promoting their culture with others.
Like many great creative adventurers, Paulda finds inspiration in writing as well. He is the author of five photography books including El Paso 120: Edge of the Southwest which was named the best photography book in Texas. He also frequently posts on his website musings and tips from his travels to both far-flung and familiar destinations around the world. Some of Paulda’s other creative accolades include recognition as one of the Top 100 travel photographers in the world by the magazine Light & Composition, an invitation to join the Rolling Stone Culture Council, a nomination for a Grammy award and a Grammy finalist for Best Album Art (Recollections by Asia featuring John Payne).
We invite you to explore more of Mark Paulda’s magical world of photography from Artcast’s inspiring roster of Featured Artists in the new gallery “Mark Paulda: Inspiring Landscapes” now streaming in the Contemporary Art category. To connect with Paulda directly, follow him on Instagram @markapaulda or check out his website where you can find out more about his art, projects and upcoming events. You can also visit his online art photo store which offers affordable yet high quality fine art photography of landscapes, urban scenes, classic monotones, multiple exposures, mosaics, camera toss and cultural images.